Chapter 122 - Rank 8, The Little Brother?

Ming Imperial Palace.

Imperial Harem, Long Bixia Palace.

"Long'er, how do you feel?"

"Did the Heaven Dao Reward pill work?"

Zhu Houzhao had just left Murong Qiudi's residence and was now in Long Bixia Palace, his face full of concern as he looked at her.

"Husband, I'm doing very well. I feel like my talent has been enhanced."

"Some of the principles of the Sword Dao that I couldn't fully grasp before are now completely clear."

"My Ice Lotus Sword Classic can also be further perfected."

"Supreme Sword Bones, huh?"

Long Bixia rolled her eyes at him and lightly pressed her fingers together. Instantly, a brilliant and pure sword aura gathered at her fingertips.

Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up. That sword intent was indeed extraordinary. Only a Mythical Realm Sword Immortal could surpass this.

"Hahaha, Long'er, I love you so much!"

Zhu Houzhao laughed heartily and couldn't help but pick her up, spinning around with her through the garden.

Long Bixia couldn't help but let out a joyful laugh.

"Husband, I will not slack off. I will always stay by your side, never leaving you."

"Of course. Wherever I am, how could you not be there too?"

Now, Long'er has laid a solid foundation.

With enough time and resources, she would be able to soar even higher.

Combined with her Supreme Yin Physique and Innate Sword Bone, her comprehension ability was far beyond that of ordinary people.

Zhu Houzhao no longer needed to worry about her being left behind.

==========

Qin Dynasty Territory.

Ge Nie and Wei Zhuang stood atop a high cliff, seemingly unaffected by the changing world, gazing down at the vast rivers and mountains below.

"Senior Brother, how far along are you in your Sword Dao Comprehension?"

"First Cycle, 30%."

"That's rather low. Looks like you've slacked off after reaching the Heavenly Human Realm."

"Hmph, I may not have broken through yet, but my sword intent has already reached perfection and formed the prototype of Sword Dao Comprehension."

"Once my cultivation catches up, I will immediately become a Heavenly Human Realm Sword Immortal."

"Surpassing you will be nothing."

"The Imperial Consort of the Ming Dynasty is also at the early Heavenly Human Realm, but her Sword Dao Comprehension has already reached the forming stage of the second cycle."

"Are you telling me you can't even compare to a woman?"

Wei Zhuang gave Ge Nie a disdainful look.

"She was ranked on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, clearly an extraordinary talent."

"With the support of the Ming Emperor, a God Demon Realm cultivator, it's natural that she surpassed us."

Ge Nie replied calmly.

Though he felt a bit unwilling, he had to admit that in terms of talent, he was indeed inferior to Long Bixia.

But he quickly recovered his composure.

He only needed to walk his own path and cultivate his own Sword Dao.

Maybe he couldn't match her now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't surpass her in the future.

She had only taken an earlier step.

He was confident that the Mythical Realm wouldn't stop him.

Even the God Demon Realm was within reach.

"A Supreme Yin Physique and Innate Sword Bones... such incredible fortune."

"It's a pity she ended up a bird trapped in the Imperial Harem."

"Her path in the Sword Dao is already bound. There's nothing to admire."

Compared to Ge Nie's respect, Wei Zhuang was far more dismissive.

With such talent in the Sword Dao, she should have been roaming the Nine Provinces Martial World, showing her sword's brilliance.

Now, she was locked in a deep palace, stripped of her freedom.

How could she speak of a future in the Sword Dao?

But when he remembered that his friend Hong Lian had also ended up in Zhu Houzhao's Imperial Harem, he was left speechless.

He never expected that the calm and composed young man from the capital of the Han Dynasty back then would turn out to be Zhu Houzhao, the Ming Emperor.

"Hmm? The Sword Immortal Ranking is already announcing the Rank 8?"

"That's rather fast."

The two were slightly startled.

High in the sky, the ranking was changing once again.

[Sword Immortal Ranking – Rank 8]

[Shi Potian]

[Identity: Master of Knight Island]

[Cultivation: Great Perfection Heavenly Human Realm Land Immortal]

[Sword Dao Comprehension: Second Cycle, Forming]

[Reward: Heaven-Grade Top-Tier Divine Sword – Supreme Profound Sword, containing the Supreme Profound Nine-Form Sword Art with unpredictable power]

Shi Potian?

A name they had never heard before.

Was this another mysterious figure hidden in the shadows of the Nine Provinces?

Ge Nie and Wei Zhuang's expressions grew serious.

Knight Island?

"Xiao Zhuang, have you heard of Knight Island?"

"I've heard a little. Within the Ming Dynasty, every few years, messengers from the island appear in the Martial World, inviting the leaders of major sects to drink Laba porridge on the island."

"Those who are invited never return."

"Seems like Knight Island is far from a benevolent place."

"This Shi Potian must not be a decent man either."

A flicker of killing intent flashed in Wei Zhuang's eyes.

Ge Nie's expression also turned cold.

It seemed that those who went to the island met misfortune.

There was likely an unspeakable secret behind Knight Island.

Great Perfection Heavenly Human Realm.

Second Cycle Sword Dao Comprehension.

This meant Shi Potian could break through to the Mythical Realm at any time.

His strength should not be underestimated.

Another one from the Ming Dynasty?

Why were there so many powerful people in the Ming Dynasty?

Could it be that the entire martial fate of the Nine Provinces was gathering in the Ming Dynasty region?

"Senior Brother, what do you say we went to during the Ming Dynasty?"

"The sword cultivators there truly are abundant and far surpass those in the Qin Dynasty. Fighting them would bring us great benefit."

"I'm already weary of being caught between Ying Zheng and the Six Kingdoms."

Normally, Wei Zhuang wouldn't mind staying.

He might even contribute to overthrowing the Qin Dynasty.

But now, with the Golden Ranking appearing and cultivators emerging everywhere, even though he was close to the Land Immortal Realm, he found it hard to keep up with the times.

Improving strength was the best path forward.

If so, why not venture into the fierce Ming Martial World?

There were colossal forces like the Azure Dragon Association, and countless hidden forces.

In the Ming Martial World, you would never run out of powerful opponents.

The number of enemies and their difficulty would always exceed your imagination.

It was dangerous, but also full of opportunity.

"Alright, let's go together."

"But I want to bring Tianming along."

"Oh? The son of Jing Ke? Interesting."

==========

Qin Imperial Palace.

"Knight Island? What kind of place is that?"

"Is it within our Qin Dynasty Territory?"

Ying Zheng asked with curiosity.

"Your Majesty, Knight Island lies in a mysterious offshore area of the Ming Dynasty. Its location is untraceable."

"Another force from the Ming Dynasty?"

"Could this be another scheme by Zhu Houzhao, like the Azure Dragon Association?"

Ying Zheng suddenly asked.

"Your Majesty, that is highly unlikely."

"It appears to be a demonic force within the Ming Martial World. Every time they invite people to drink Laba porridge, it's actually a trap."

"There must be a hidden agenda behind it."

"Keep investigating."

"I want to know the true origin of Knight Island."

Ying Zheng immediately gave his orders.

Although the Black Ice Platform Leader spoke reasonably, he still harbored suspicion.

He believed this might be another piece Zhu Houzhao had secretly placed.

Now, he was extremely wary of Zhu Houzhao's scheming.

Power alone wasn't terrifying.

What was terrifying was being powerful while hiding that strength.

Always keeping secret plans in reserve.

One wrong move, and you could be outplayed.

At this point, Ying Zheng believed it was right to remain as cautious as possible toward Zhu Houzhao.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

==========

Wudang Mountain.

"Ancestor, it's Knight Island. My heavens, the master of Knight Island actually made it onto the Sword Immortal Ranking?"

"That vile man. Our acting sect master Qing Song went to Knight Island and never returned."

Many disciples grew furious upon seeing the name Knight Island.

"Junior Brother Qing Song..."

"Sigh. It was my fault. I should not have let him go, which led to his misfortune."

Zhang Sanfeng felt sorrow deep in his heart as he thought of the acting sect master who had likely been harmed by Knight Island.

At the time, he was in seclusion, perfecting the Taiji Exercise.

Otherwise, he would never have let Qing Song go to such a dangerous place.

Shi Potian.

Very well.

If Junior Brother Qing Song truly met a tragic fate, this old Daoist will personally kill you, you demonic fiend.

In Zhang Sanfeng's eyes, Knight Island was an evil force.

As its leader, Shi Potian was the ultimate heretic.

"Master, Shi Potian could break through to the Mythical Realm at any moment. He now possesses the Supreme Profound Divine Sword granted by the Heaven Dao. We must not underestimate him."

"Also, Knight Island itself is extremely powerful."

"The two enforcers of Reward and Punishment have unpredictable strength. They far surpass the leaders of most sects."

"At the very least, they are formidable Great Grandmasters."

"But we do not know how many such figures Knight Island still hides."

Yu Daiyan's expression was serious, filled with concern.

If his master were to face the entire Knight Island alone, he might truly be defeated.

"Leave this matter to me."

"I believe we are not the only ones who hate Knight Island."

"When they appear again, I will not let them go."

Zhang Sanfeng said coldly.

==========

At the same time, aside from Wudang, many martial sects in the Ming Dynasty that had suffered at the hands of Knight Island also erupted in righteous anger.

Their previous sect leaders had been invited to the island and never returned.

By now, they were likely long gone.

Shaolin, Emei, Kongtong, Mount Hua.

Any sect with even a slight reputation had been targeted by Knight Island.

Over the years, cultivators who had "died" at Knight Island were not few.

==========

Ming Imperial Palace.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the name "Shi Potian" on the ranking and smirked.

It seemed that his fate had truly been changed.

That former good-for-nothing was no more.

Now, he was a fully reborn Shi Potian.

Even more powerful than in the original story.

With even greater potential.

"Husband, do you know this Shi Potian?"

Long Bixia asked curiously. She was intrigued by someone who ranked higher than her.

Still, she did not believe she would lose to him.

Her current ranking was only because her cultivation realm was lagging.

"Of course. He is someone I personally trained."

"His future potential is no less than yours, Long'er."

"He is one of the pieces I've placed in the shadows."

"And a piece I trust deeply."

Although Zhu Houzhao called him a chess piece, in truth, he had already considered Shi Potian a true confidant.

That former fool had been like a blank sheet of paper.

With Zhu Houzhao as the painter, he could draw anything he pleased.

He shaped that blank paper into the Shi Potian he wanted.

He had subdued the second masters of Knight Island, Long and Mu, and placed Shi Potian in charge with their support.

As one of his hidden forces, Knight Island served as a contingency for future use.

Shi Potian had been cultivated into a top-level sword cultivator.

On the foundation of the Supreme Profound Scripture, he created his own Supreme Profound Sword Classic.

Naturally, Zhu Houzhao would never allow him to be a fool like in the original story.

Now, Shi Potian's intelligence rivaled that of the leaders of the top sects.

Anyone who tried to deceive or manipulate him would pay a heavy price.

==========

Ming Dynasty, Southern Seas.

A complex sea region.

Without someone familiar with the area to guide them, any ship could easily become lost.

In the deepest part of this area stood a massive island.

It was none other than the now-renowned Knight Island.

"Island Master, you've made it to Rank 8 on the Sword Immortal Ranking?"

Inside a stone chamber on the island, Shi Potian sat cross-legged with the two Vice-Island Masters, Long and Mu.

Seeing his name on the ranking, he was overjoyed.

The next moment, a Divine Sword brimming with power appeared in his hands.

The Supreme Profound Divine Sword.

As expected of the Heaven Dao Reward.

Even Long and Mu felt a deep sense of threat from it.

With hardly any effort, Shi Potian could control it freely.

"Excellent. The Supreme Profound Nine-Form Sword Art within this sword matches my Supreme Profound Sword Classic perfectly."

Shi Potian swung the sword in satisfaction.

Blades of sword energy shot out, carving deep trenches into the stone floor.

"Island Master, be careful. Don't destroy this room in your excitement."

"I got carried away for a moment." Shi Potian said awkwardly.

"Island Master, you truly are a genius. No wonder our lord values you so much."

"Yes. The two of us spent decades studying the Supreme Profound Scripture, yet we haven't achieved half of what you have."

Shi Potian scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"It's all thanks to Big Brother."

"If he hadn't taught me so patiently, I would never have reached this level."

"He even used rare pills to awaken my intelligence. Otherwise, I would have remained lost in a fog forever."

"I only wish I could become even stronger, so I can help Big Brother in the future."

"Hahaha, don't worry, Island Master. When the time comes, our lord will definitely call on you."

"By the way, now that Knight Island has been exposed by the Golden Ranking, should we return the captured sect leaders?"

"Otherwise, we'll be mistaken for a demonic cult and hunted by the entire Ming Martial World."

Shi Potian said with concern.

"Island Master, we've tried to persuade them many times."

"But they are so obsessed with the Supreme Profound Scripture that they refuse to leave."

"Even if we force them out, they won't go."

"This won't do. We can't let them stay here forever, can we?"

"Leave this matter to us."

"This problem started with us, so it's only right we solve it."

"Alright. I'll leave it to you."

"For now, I want to fully master the Supreme Profound Sword Art and make it second nature."

"In that case, Island Master, we shall take our leave."