Chapter 5934

“That old coot Oswald nearly dueled me on Skyblade Cliff three centuries ago over a single shard of star iron,” Blaine uttered, tipping back a horn of blood-red liquor. “Once he sets his mind on something, there’s no budging him. And you want him to join forces with outsiders? Hah. Not a chance.”

Blaine thumped the cup down, embers popping in the fire as he turned once more to Jared.

Winslow stroked his beard. “Stubborn he may be, but Oswald is no fool. Malevolent Path Hall is getting too powerful. Even he should understand that Heavenly Sword Pavilion can’t hold out by itself.”

Blaine snorted. “You want to reason with that sword-obsessed madman? There’s nothing in his head but swords! Unless you can beat him at the sword, you could argue till the heavens fall, and he’d dismiss every word as nothing but noise.”

Jared murmured, half to himself, “Beat him at the sword?”

Blaine’s gaze flicked over Jared. “Listen, Jared… Even though Oswald is only at Top Level Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Nine, it’s said that his swordsmanship has reached a level where he can become one with the sword. I know you are formidable, but swordmanship isn’t your specialization “I may not need to surpass him completely—just enough to make him listen,” Jared interrupted. “All we need is to let him glimpse that beyond the sword lies even stronger powers of law, vast enough to make him acknowledge us. Mr. Leedon, what about the Five-Element Sect?”

Blaine answered with a crooked smile, “Aurelian Metalhart is a cunning one. The Five-Element Sect has spent centuries locked in a quiet civil war among its five branches. He keeps the throne not by strength, but by balancing their grudges.Solve that infighting first, or the moment your back is turned, those branches will be brawling over whether an alliance even matters.”