The top-ranking figures of the four major forces of the Sword Cosmos, watched the battle that took
place in the Blade Cosmos' army's headquarters.
Austin's impressive display of raw power sent a rush of unease through them all.
He battled with dozens of governing gods of the Blade Cosmos, and had even managed to gain the
upper hand on them.
The battle had put them all in a deep silence, filled with equal parts of fear and contemplation.
They hated to admit it,
but they knew that Austin was now stronger than they were.
They were overtaken by frustration, perturbed by the predicament this put them in.
'None of the governing gods in our forces are capable of facing off against him in a one-on-one battle
now.
He's become something else, the most powerful cultivator in the Sword Cosmos it seems,' the core
members of the four major forces thought. They felt defeated already.
In the Thousand Sword World, the high-ranking figures of the Blade Cosmos' army had ferocious
glares cemented on their faces.
"What should we do? Do we call our men back and send for reinforcements?"
one of the governing gods asked with a deep, concerned frown.
This was the most humiliating day they had ever experienced. The entire army sneered, upset and with
their pride shattered and ripped from them.
They had all been stuck in a state of gloom and dejection since Austin had taken off. The more they
thought about what they went through, the angrier they became.
"Not yet.
Let's first correspond with the four major forces of the Sword Cosmos and see if perhaps we can finish
Austin off together.
It's not just the Sword Cosmos we're trying to take, there are several other supreme universes we have
targeted as well.
Right now, we should avoid calling for backup, for as long as we can.
Not until we are completely out of options and all hope is lost to us.
We should handle Austin on our own for now.
If we still can't get rid of him in the end, we'll have to retreat and report back to Supreme Grandmaster
Donovan.
I believe he at least will be able to take Austin out," the elder revealed slowly.
He had considered their situation quite calculatedly.
He was the commander of the Blade Cosmos' army in the Sword Cosmos; stronger than the other
governing gods present, and outranking them too.
"You're right. That seems prudent," someone said, the other governing gods nodding in agreement.
They at least had a plan now.
They knew their leader spoke true.
Austin had already left the Thousand Sword World and was traveling through many different worlds.
With his current strength, he no longer needed to hide from anyone in the Sword Cosmos. No one
would dare cross him now.
He could go anywhere and do anything he so desired.
Throughout the Sword Cosmos, many creatures talked among themselves about Austin as they
watched him move through.
He was bound for the Ethereal World.
Along the way, numerous creatures, of all sorts of races and forces, looked upon him with great respect
beaming in their gazes.
Many young people in particular, rushed over from afar, just to catch a glimpse of Austin in the flesh.
They stood on the path he had to pass through, kowtowing to him like loyal servants to a benevolent
god. Austin was their idol, the one they all looked up to and wished they could be.
"Leave the Sword Cosmos!"
Austin had threatened the senior leaders of the army of the Blade Cosmos before he left their
headquarters.
This fearless declaration was what gained him so many admirers.
Innumerable creatures from different races and forces had been victims of the Blade Cosmos' invasion.
By the end of it they had taken over and occupied half of the Sword Cosmos' territory,
which was home to more races and forces than could be counted.
They hated these invaders with a burning passion that ran through to their core. They longed for
someone to throw them out, dreaming of reclaiming their home.
Unfortunately, the four major forces of the Sword Cosmos had never had any success in driving away
the invaders from the Blade Cosmos.
But now things had changed; they had Austin on their side.
His terrifying strength and fearsome, intimidating ways of operating brought new hope to countless
creatures in the Sword Cosmos.
'Perhaps this young man can lead us in the fight against invaders from the Blade Cosmos!'
many creatures thought with excitement fluttering in their hearts.
Most of the creatures here preferred Austin to be their ruler.
"This young man may one day in the near future rule the Sword Cosmos," some of the elders
murmured as they stared intently at Austin.
They had lived here a long time and seen a great many things.
Although they were much older than most, they were not the strongest among them. But their long lives
had given them much experience and wisdom.
And because of this, they were right about many things and seemed to know best.
'He fought dozens of governing gods and emerged victorious. No one else can do that.
If there has ever been anyone qualified to rule the Sword Cosmos, it's this young man!'
one of the old men thought joyfully.
Austin had quite rightly earned such an esteemed reputation from his fight with the governing gods of
the Blade Cosmos.
His stern declaration towards the Blade Cosmos had pleased countless creatures of the Sword
Cosmos.
Since then, they had recognized Austin as their figurehead, disregarding the four major forces as any
kind of rulers.
They were attracted to him and wanted to rally behind him.
The four major forces had taken notice of that.
"We must finish Austin off! We can't allow him to go on like this.
If we don't, we'll lose our control over the Sword Cosmos! He's already winning favor with the locals!"
The senior leaders of the four major forces gnashed their teeth in anger and discontent. Killing Austin
was now even more important than before.
As Austin made his way through the void, an old man appeared out of nowhere and stopped him on his
way.
"Young man, please wait a moment," he said, looking at Austin with sincerity in his eyes.
His face was wrinkled like the bark on an old tree and he held a dragon-headed walking stick. He
seemed old and frail.
But in his eyes, there was a flash of vigor, a ferocity hidden within.
"What is it?"
Austin asked, startled and stopping in his tracks.
His spiritual sense was powerful and yet he had not sensed the elder's arrival.
The mysterious old man seemed part of the air, with no aura at all.
This was probably why he could not detect him.
This was all too suspicious to Austin. He put his guard up, remaining on alert, a little afraid and
apprehensive of this stranger.
"Young man, relax. I bear you no ill will,"
the old man said with a friendly smile.
"What can I do for you, sir?"
Austin asked calmly.
He did not yet know whether the old man was a friend or an enemy, so he showed courtesy and treated
him with politeness.
"Young man, no one your age has ever achieved what you have.
You are the most talented individual in the entire Sword Cosmos,"
the mysterious old man praised, looking Austin up and down.
"What's this?
This old man looks very much like the legendary Master Rumble. How can this be?"
a creature of the Sword Cosmos exclaimed in confusion.
Many creatures were paying close attention to Austin and noticed the elder blocking his way as well.
"What?
Do you mean to say that is Rumble, the legendary master the same age as Master Sword?"
"My word!
You've got to be kidding. It can't be possible.
Master Rumble vanished many eras ago. Legend has it he's already dead.
It's impossible that he could now appear here."
"He's right. Master Rumble disappeared before Master Sword did. He couldn't show up here. He just
couldn't."
This arrival sent the Sword Cosmos into an uproar.
The sudden arrival of an ancient master, the same age as Master Sword, sent shockwaves throughout
the cosmos, stirring everyone's minds and hearts, causing a wild sensation!
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