Demon Hunter and His Cabin
Chapter 729 - Chapter 729 Chapter 597 Chessboard_2

Chapter 729: Chapter 597: Chessboard_2 Chapter 729: Chapter 597: Chessboard_2 The first door that opened wasn’t anything noteworthy; Amanda and Henrik, among others, had already explored it, but it was the second door that appeared after the training base’s level had been upgraded to Level Two that particularly caught Roger’s attention.

“Follow me.”

Roger led Higurashi Chika through the door.

In the moment when they crossed the darkness, the emblems on Yuan Guanghai’s body suddenly flashed, and immediately after, Shadow’s Power enveloped both of them.

The darkness faded, but the light that met their eyes was far from bright.

Yuan Guanghai took a step forward, and his face violently changed.

“This place… What is this place?!” he said, looking at Roger in shock.

Roger nodded with a smile.

“Yes, it’s that place.”

“This is the Land of Eternal Darkness,”

he replied.

“This… This is unbelievable!”

Higurashi Chika, however, turned her head, her gaze fixed on a point in the sky.

“Don’t go to see him; it’s for the best, for all of you.”

Higurashi Chika firmly nodded her head, then clenched the weapon in her hand.

“Don’t worry, this is the best trial ground, I will strive to become stronger!”

Spiritual Power surged within Higurashi Chika, but due to the concealment of Shadow’s Power, her vitality did not leak out.

She was merely a step away from Fourth Tier.

“I will also work hard!”

A strange aura flickered and disappeared, Yuan Guanghai’s body slightly bulged.

It was terrifying, despite having lost his original body and being in such a uniquely special state, Yuan Guanghai could still continue to practice under the Bear Fraction’s legacy.

With both of them providing guidance in High Tier swordsmanship, Roger felt extremely relieved about the rest; as their strength improved, so too would Yuan Guanghai’s situation.

As for Higurashi Chika, Gushan had truly done everything possible; all the hidden threats within her had been removed, and her power had increased significantly.

Given her potential, and without these limitations, it wouldn’t be long before she could enter Fourth Tier.

By that time, if Yuan Guanghai’s strength was restored, even without Roger, the castle would always have three Tier Four members present.

Henrik likely wouldn’t see such a possibility in the short term, given that most of his strength presently comes from the weapon in his hand, but as for Amanda…

Roger admitted he really didn’t know.

Rather than her rate of improvement, he always felt Amanda seemed more like the main character.

With everything running smoothly, Roger didn’t linger. After saying goodbye to everyone, he hastily left.

His silhouette disappeared, and when he reappeared, Roger had returned to the abandoned house in Black Tail City, which is where he and Higurashi Chika had temporarily lived before he left.

Not daring to reveal his whereabouts, Roger didn’t even use Black Tower’s teleportation; he had mapped out his route and headed straight for the city closest to the influence of the Sword Pavilion.

“Tengu Shrine, to think it is connected with the Superior Leader of the Land of Eternal Darkness.”

Considering their usual declarations, Roger was not particularly surprised.

Frankly speaking, even though he was more inclined toward Sword Master Cold Crow, given the current power disparity, the chances of Sword Master Cold Crow’s victory were slim.

Without Black Tower’s teleportation, Roger’s speed was still fast, and he arrived at a city under the Sword Pavilion’s control a few days later.

Matsuyama Castle.

The closer Roger got to this location, the more he sensed the difference in levels between the various Sword Pavilion-controlled areas.

The Funiu Sword Pavilion had little to speak of beyond their single draft, but the other areas were lacking by a great deal, especially since Sword Master Cold Crow, despite his power, had risen too quickly, and his level of management left something to be desired.

Rundown and dilapidated was the most direct impression.

Previously, Shadow Cottage had assimilated a room on Hankawa, but that was only a contingency strategy; Roger naturally couldn’t appear out of nowhere.

And now, Shadow Cottage was still left by Roger in the Land of Eternal Darkness, and he harbored a bit of hope that perhaps Gushan might return to check.

If that were the case…

Upon returning to Hankawa, from a distance, Roger saw many people gathering at the foot of Hankawa’s mountain.

Their auras varied, but each one was fairly strong; Roger didn’t approach, but they didn’t hide their voices, allowing their conversation to be clearly heard by him.

“Will Sword Master Cold Crow agree?”

One man asked, a slender figure with a fierce glint in his eyes.

“He will agree.”

“He must.”

Someone answered.

“There are always rumors that Sword Master Cold Crow has fallen gravely ill…”

“That’s not important; it’s a pity we don’t have enough strength. How many years has it been since sword masters have clashed?”

“Perhaps they always have, just that we aren’t strong enough to be aware of it.”

The crowd continued to discuss animatedly.

Roger’s face slightly changed as he decided not to ascend the mountain through the main gate, instead choosing another path.

The summit.

The cold wind swept up the snow.

A group of people stood on the snowy ground, their red clothes blazing like fire. Leading them was an old man with fiery red hair and beard, who was not tall and carried no weapons, with several serious-looking young men standing behind him, brows furrowed.

“Old friend, since there are no restrictions on climbing the mountain, why don’t you come out to meet me upon reaching the summit?”

The elder spoke.

Screech!

The tightly shut door opened, and the cold wind, bringing with it the falling snow, whitened a patch of the floor in front of the door.

A folding screen was placed in the doorway, depicting the cold river under the rising sun, hiding the entire entrance so that the structure and furnishings inside the room were indiscernible.

An aged voice came through.

“Old friend?”

Sword Master Cold Crow chuckled.

“You hardly qualify.”

“When did we last meet, decades ago?”

“Ha-ha, back then, you could only scurry around behind us.”

The old man’s dark face revealed no change in expression as he waved his hand dismissively.

“Is that so?”

“But all the swordsman of your era have died, if I don’t qualify as an old friend, then you’ll scarcely find another in this world.”

“So, what brings you to me?”

Sword Master Cold Crow asked.

“Worry not, although I am older than you, I will surely die after you.”

Sword Master Cold Crow added.

“It’s nothing much.”

“Getting older, one tends to give more thought to succession. I’ve taken a few pupils, and I think I’ve taught them quite well.”

“In your youth, whether it was your seniors or juniors, you were the brightest among them, no one could surpass you, almost no one could even keep up with you.”

The old man laughed heartily.

“Since I can’t outshine you, perhaps my disciples could be a bit stronger than yours.”

“Out of respect for our friendship, if you don’t mind, send your disciples to offer some pointers through sparring, and if you’re willing, to receive personal guidance from you would be splendid.”

After saying these words, the old man closed his mouth, the corners twisted into a hint of a smile as he gazed at the screen in front of the door.

His gaze seemed to penetrate the screen, seeing the emaciated figure hiding in the dim room.

“What do you say?”

After a long silence without any reply, the old man spoke again.

“Have you fallen asleep, given your age?” he said with a chuckle.

“Everyone is well aware of my ability to teach students. Haven’t you killed enough of them over the years?”

The voice of Sword Master Cold Crow came from within the room.

“They hardly count as your students. Send Meiryu out to give some pointers, or if Meiryu is not in Kensumi, that would be fine too.”

The elder’s eyes narrowed into slits.

“Impressive talent.”

Sword Master Cold Crow exclaimed, “I can’t match your skill in teaching students.”

He laughed heartily, “You win, you can go now.”

“That won’t do. We’ve come all this way to Cold River, and many of my students admire you; they wish to see you in person.”

The elder lowered his voice.

Just then, Roger had followed a hidden path to the mountainside, and from afar, he could already see the crowd gathered at the peak.

A familiar voice rang out.

“Lord Roger?!”

Roger turned his head to see Yuuki Nao approaching swiftly.

“What’s happening?”

He asked in a deep voice.

“They are challengers under the guise of sparring. The timing is too strange, Meiryu Lord and Kensumi Lord are out of reach at the moment.” Yuuki Nao said anxiously.

Roger instantly understood something.

It must be the Tengu Shrine’s probing; they couldn’t wait any longer.