All of us are one

Chapter 97 The Upper Realm Will Surely Return

Bihai City, Liang Mansion.

This is the largest mansion in Bihai City. Like the mansions of the Wang and Zhen families, it is located in the north of the city. The mansion has high walls and buildings, and its area is so vast that it is like a city within a city.

Jiang Yanming and his entourage rode in a carriage, entered through the mansion gate, and traveled along the road. After a long while, the carriage stopped in front of a tall building.

This building is extremely tall; you can't see the top from below.

"Young friend Jiang, we've arrived." The old man got up and stepped off the carriage first.

Jiang Yanming also got off the carriage and saw a tall wooden building that was entirely red. The surrounding area consisted of roads, high walls, and bamboo forests.

"Young Alliance Leader." Leng Tong and Wang Chen got off the carriage behind and came to Jiang Yanming's side.

"I remember the guest you hosted at this restaurant last time was young friend Wan, wasn't he?" the old man asked, turning his head.

"Reporting to Ancestor," Liang Qingteng, one of the Liang family's top experts, quickly replied, "It was Master Wan of Plum Blossom Manor. At that time, Master Wan had just advanced to the pinnacle and came to visit Ancestor."

"It seems I haven't misremembered," the old man nodded upon hearing this.

"Hosting me at such a prestigious venue?" Jiang Yanming's eyes narrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but think to himself, "Is this showing me respect? Or is it trying to flatter me to my detriment?"

Given Jiang Yanming's status, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to compare him to a top-tier expert, but to say he's an absolute master would be a bit of an exaggeration!

The gap between the top and the elite is not small. Several elite experts can barely contend with the top, but that is only if the top expert is willing to fight head-on. If the top expert insists on leaving, the elite experts cannot stop him at all.

The reason is simple: top masters can fly through the air, while even the most skilled masters cannot!

"Young friend Jiang, there's no need to overthink it. This building is where I, Liang, entertain guests," the old man explained with a smile. "This banquet for you, young friend Jiang, is also hosted by me, Liang."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yanming cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your high regard, senior."

"Let's go, Chief Leng and Chief Wang will have someone to receive us." After saying that, the old man took the lead and entered the high-rise building.

Jiang Yanming nodded to Leng Tong and Wang Chen, and then followed the old man's steps, with the four top experts from the three major families following closely behind.

We walked along the corridor to the top floor.

Jiang Yanming only saw a table, two chairs, a pot of wine, and two wine cups on the table.

"Senior Liang, is it just the two of us?" Jiang Yanming asked, somewhat surprised.

If he wasn't mistaken, all four top experts from the three major families had entered the building, but there were clearly no seats for them.

"That's right, it's me, Liang, and you, young friend Jiang." The old man strolled to the railing, turned around, and asked, "Young friend Jiang, do you know why I'm hosting this banquet for the most outstanding scholars here?"

"I don't know," Jiang Yanming shook his head.

"Come and take a look," the old man beckoned.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yanming came to the old man's side. Suddenly, the huge mansions of the three major families, as well as half of Bihai City, came into view. It was as if he had climbed to the top of the mountain and looked down on all the other mountains. The tall buildings in the city looked very small.

"Did you see that?" the old man asked with a smile.

"Mm." Jiang Yanming nodded.

"This is what it feels like to reach the pinnacle. To go even further, it's the feeling I, Liang, and your father had," the old man sighed. "If I, Liang, had been born a hundred years later, or your father a hundred years earlier, the path of martial arts would no longer be a solitary one. What a pity..."

Jiang Yanming remained silent upon hearing this.

Loneliness may be a true reflection of Senior Liang's life, after all, no one could compare to him before his father.

By the time his father rose to prominence, Senior Liang was already old, his vitality was waning, and his lifespan was estimated to be less than thirty years.

If the two had been born in the same era, they might have had the opportunity to learn from each other and strive for higher levels of martial arts, but there are no "ifs"...

"Young friend Jiang, I am hosting this banquet for you here so that you can pass on my message," the old man said calmly.

Upon hearing the old man's tone, Jiang Yanming immediately cupped his hands and said, "Please speak, senior. When I return to the Four Kingdoms Alliance, I will certainly relay the truth to my father."

"Tell Alliance Leader Jiang that it is true that the Divine Martial Kingdom has severed ties with the Upper Realm, but the Upper Realm will definitely return and re-establish contact with the Divine Martial Kingdom," the old man said with a sigh of relief. "Therefore, the Divine Martial Kingdom... is entrusted to Alliance Leader Jiang."

"Will the Upper Realm definitely return?" Jiang Yanming was startled.

The Upper Realm was once the ruling realm of the Divine Martial Kingdom, which regarded the Divine Martial Kingdom as a breeding ground for low-level martial artists. Even martial artists at the second or third level of the Condensing Qi realm would be recruited by the Upper Realm.

Such actions rendered the Divine Martial Kingdom powerless to suppress the alien beasts, forcing the warriors to retreat into their cities to protect themselves.

Only after losing contact with the upper realm did the number of talented martial artists born in the Divine Martial Kingdom cease to decrease, which enabled the Divine Martial Kingdom to expel the alien beasts and achieve its current territory.

"Why are you so certain that the Upper Realm will return?" Jiang Yanming couldn't help but ask.

"You only need to relay my words to Alliance Leader Jiang," the old man shook his head slightly. "You don't need to know the reasons behind it."

Seeing that he couldn't get a reply, Jiang Yanming thought to himself, "Could it be that Senior Liang has already told my father about this, so there's no need for me to relay the message?"

"Alright, young friend Jiang, please escort your father to Liang's banquet." The old man turned and sat down at the table.

"So, Senior Liang invited me here to sit in place of my father..." Upon hearing this, Jiang Yanming relaxed considerably and calmly sat down opposite Senior Liang.

If he were representing himself, he would have to treat Senior Liang with the respect due to a junior, but it would be different if he were representing his father.

He believed that his father and Senior Liang were of equal status, except that Senior Liang was older, while his father was stronger due to his abundant energy and blood.

Jiang Yanming was only doing so on behalf of his father, so he got up to pour wine for Senior Liang before filling his own glass.

"Drink this cup." The old man raised the wine cup with both hands, paused briefly in front of Jiang Yanming, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing this, Jiang Yanming had no choice but to drink the wine in his cup in one gulp. As soon as the wine went down his throat, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, his cheeks became a little rosy, and even his blood was surging.

"What is this?" Jiang Yanming's face showed a hint of surprise.

Because it was just one cup of wine, his vital energy increased significantly, equivalent to half a month of physical tempering, which shows how powerful the wine was.

"This wine is a treasure I've kept for a long time. It's made with the essence of many exotic beasts and precious herbs. With young friend Jiang's physique, he can only drink three cups at most." The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I didn't expect that I'd be dying before I even finished the wine."

After saying that, the old man changed the subject and urged, "Pour some wine."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yanming first poured wine for the old man, and then filled his own wine cup.

"Drink this cup." The old man held the cup in mid-air with both hands.

Jiang Yanming also raised his cup with both hands and drank a cup with the old man.

After drinking the wine, Jiang Yanming's face turned even redder, and his blood and energy increased.

"The last cup." The old man placed the wine glass on the table.

Without the old man urging him, Jiang Yanming filled both of their wine glasses, and then the two drank their last cup together.

After downing the third glass of wine, Jiang Yanming felt a little dizzy, his face flushed like an apple, his whole body was enveloped in warmth, and a little sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Someone come here!" the old man called out softly, his voice carrying several floors below.

Not long after,

When Leng Tong, Wang Chen, and the top experts from the three major families arrived, they saw Jiang Yanming, who was clearly a little dizzy, and the old man's back as he stood in front of the fence.

"Young friend Jiang is drunk, please take him to rest," the old man waved his hand and said, "There's no need for anyone to stay here."

"Yes." The group respectfully replied and left with Jiang Yanming.

Only the old man remained, standing in front of the fence, looking down at all living beings.