Chapter 124 - Recruitment Frenzy, Sword Ancestor Ranking?!

Tang Dynasty, King Jin Li Keyong Mansion.

Upon seeing the Empress's name on the ranking, Li Keyong's aura surged sharply.

"What an Empress... I truly misjudged you!"

"Such a pity that you are just a woman. Otherwise, you might have become a serious threat to me!"

"Li Shimin, you think you can use me as a pawn, forcing me into a life-or-death struggle with Zhu Wen, so you can reap the rewards from the sidelines? Things aren't as simple as you imagine!"

"If Zhu Wen dies, I'm afraid I won't live long either!"

"If you could harm your own father and younger brothers, how could you possibly tolerate us vassal kings?"

"For now, you can deal with that troublesome Empress yourself!"

"Hahaha..."

Though Li Keyong appeared respectful in front of Li Shimin, he had long been dissatisfied in his heart.

How could he possibly be willing to serve him loyally?

When the time came, if Li Shimin pressed him about it, he would simply make up an excuse to brush it off.

In fact, he now hoped the Empress was even stronger.

That way, she could draw Li Shimin's firepower away.

And he would have more time to build his power for a future counterattack.

He would never sit and wait for death, watching Li Shimin exterminate his entire clan.

==========

Qin Dynasty, Xianyang City.

"Sir, do you think we could win this Empress over?"

"Just by her name, it is clear she is a woman with great ambition."

"If Li Shimin cannot accept her, I can!"

"If she joins the Qin Dynasty, I am willing to grant her the position of Queen!"

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up. He believed that this Empress was wasting her talent in the Martial World.

With her abilities, she should be doing something far greater.

Moreover, her brother Li Maozhen was also an extraordinary figure.

If he joined the Qin Dynasty, he could lead troops in battle as well.

Wouldn't it be better to expand territory and achieve grand glory?

"Your Majesty, that is a brilliant idea. It would be wise to send someone to reach out."

"There may be unexpected gains."

The middle-aged scholar stroked his beard and chuckled.

"With the Empress on our side, the Qin Dynasty would gain another Mythical Realm Sword Immortal."

"More importantly, her entire force would be unified under the Qin Dynasty's banner."

Ying Zheng nodded with a smile.

Such a talented person, yet Li Shimin failed to appreciate her and even wanted to eliminate them.

There was no tolerance at all.

And he dared to compete with him for the world?

What a joke.

Ying Zheng was filled with contempt for Li Shimin.

He once thought Li Shimin could be a worthy rival.

But now?

Ridiculous.

==========

Yuan Imperial Palace.

At this moment, Temujin had recovered once more.

The deaths of Meng Chixing and Si Hanfei had indeed dealt him a heavy blow.

He had lost two of his most trusted generals.

Moreover, Pang Ban no longer concerned himself with worldly affairs and focused solely on cultivating, hoping to avenge his past defeat.

Now, he had no choice but to once again rely on the National Master, Phagpa.

Though distrust had begun to fester in his heart, he had no one else to depend on.

Still, with Temujin's deep scheming nature, even Phagpa did not sense his displeasure.

Phagpa remained just as loyal as before, offering strategies to make up for past mistakes.

"National Master, can we subdue this Empress as we did with Zhu Wen?"

"Unlikely. From the information I've gathered, the Empress seems to be constrained by the Bad Marshal Yuan Tiangang."

"Her brother Li Maozhen appears to be in Yuan Tiangang's hands."

Phagpa shook his head, dismissing the idea.

"Isn't she the Empress? She should have great ambition. Compared to her grand cause, what is family?"

"As expected, women are still women!"

"At critical moments, they simply cannot be as decisive and ruthless as men!"

"Hahaha, this woman is not worth mentioning. No need to waste effort on her."

Temujin laughed heartily.

He immediately stopped paying attention to the Empress.

A woman with such sentimentality, no matter how powerful, was not suitable for the Yuan Dynasty.

==========

Ming Imperial Palace.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the intelligence gathered by Dark One.

"How amusing. Li Shimin has pushed these Tang Dynasty vassal kings to the brink."

"Zhu Wen has already pledged allegiance to the Yuan Dynasty. Li Keyong is secretly dealing with the Qin Dynasty. At this rate, they'll soon be Ying Zheng's people."

"What about the other vassal kings?"

"What was wrong with Li Yuan? Right after founding the dynasty, he went on a spree rewarding founding officials, even granting land and titles. Was he truly that foolish?"

"Or did those founding generals hold some sort of leverage over him?"

Even Zhu Houzhao had not yet uncovered the hidden truth behind it all.

Li Yuan, capable of founding a dynasty, was no fool. He had to know that such widespread enfeoffment of non-royals was detrimental to the Tang Dynasty.

Yet he still went through with it.

If there wasn't a deeper reason, who would believe it?

"Dark One, what about King Qi Li Maozhen and the Empress?"

"Which nation have they been in contact with?"

"Your Majesty, the real King Qi Li Maozhen has long gone missing, and seems to be in the hands of the Bad Marshal Yuan Tiangang."

"The current Li Maozhen has been the Empress in disguise all along."

Zhu Houzhao tapped his finger on the desk, lost in thought.

"Yuan Tiangang, Li Maozhen, the Empress..."

"Wait, isn't there a Miao region in the south of the Tang Dynasty?"

"How does it compare with our Ming Dynasty's Miao region?"

Zhu Houzhao suddenly recalled something and asked Dark One.

"Your Majesty, they likely share a common ancestry, but over time, the tribes scattered across the land, forming different branches."

"Continue to monitor them secretly."

"Do not interfere lightly."

"Your Majesty, should we also contact the Empress and try to win her over to the Ming Dynasty?"

"A soon-to-be Mythical Realm Sword Immortal is certainly worth recruiting."

"Good point. But no rush. I have my own plans."

==========

Boom!

A thunderous sound rang out in the sky.

"What's happening?" Zhu Houzhao asked.

"Your Majesty, the Sword Ancestor Ranking is about to be released."

"The final two Grandmasters are dueling to decide who will be ranked 1st."

"Oh? Who are the duelists?"

"Huh? One of them looks familiar..."

Pfft.

"Yun Luo..."

"She advanced to Grandmaster?"

Zhu Houzhao blurted out in surprise.

"The other is Bu Jingyun?"

He never expected Yun Luo to have entered the Sword Ancestor Ranking tournament without his notice.

And she had made it to the final duel.

Zhu Houzhao watched silently.

Now that Yun Luo was participating, she had to take Rank 1.

Although he didn't care much about ranking.

Bu Jingyun was indeed extraordinary, even a leading figure in Wind and Cloud.

But this was the Nine Provinces.

Yun Luo had been trained personally by Zhu Houzhao. Her strength could not be underestimated.

Single Edge Sword Art.

Though her mastery was far from complete.

And not even at a proficient level.

It was still enough to defeat any unfamiliar Sword Techniques.

Last time, she lost to Yilin in the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

But this time, on the Sword Ancestor Ranking, she would likely surpass Bu Jingyun.

Bu Jingyun would probably feel quite frustrated.

But what could he do? Yun Luo had a cheat-like mentor behind her.

Clang!

"Single Edge Sword Art, strike!"

On the arena stage, Yun Luo shouted coldly.

In an instant, a sharp sword light shot forth.

Seemingly both visible and invisible.

Its chilling glow was overwhelming.

The moment the sword aura burst forth, even Bu Jingyun's expression changed drastically.

He tried to block with his supreme sword.

Unfortunately.

Clang!

The sword aura broke through his defense, piercing straight through his chest.

Bu Jingyun's vision went black.

When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to the Han Dynasty's Zhonghua Pavilion.

He saw Nameless, Nie Feng, and Qin Shuang looking at him with concern.

A warmth spread in his heart.

"Brother Yun, you actually lost?"

"That Yun Luo was just Great Perfection Innate Realm not long ago. Even if she advanced to Grandmaster, she should only be at the Early Stage."

"And yet you lost to a newly advanced Grandmaster?"

Nie Feng asked in disbelief.

"Indeed, Brother Yun, did you hold back on purpose during such an important duel?"

Qin Shuang also didn't believe it.

Bu Jingyun's face twitched.

"I lost. And without suspense. Her Sword Technique was extremely powerful and impossible to guard against."

"I could tell that she hadn't even fully mastered the technique, yet I still couldn't defeat her."

"She was probably taught by the Ming Emperor."

After hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Sword Techniques taught by a God Demon Realm cultivator were truly terrifying?

The Nameless Sword Technique taught by Nameless wasn't weak either.

Could the gap between God Demon Realm and Mythical Realm really be that wide?

"Senior Nameless, Brother Feng, Brother Shuang, though I lost this time, I've gained greatly."

"If all goes well, after a closed-door session, I may break through to the Great Grandmaster Realm."

"Congratulations, Brother Yun!"

"Brother Yun, congratulations!"

Nie Feng and Qin Shuang quickly offered their congratulations.

Nameless, however, seemed deep in thought.

"Yun, was it because of her sword intent?"

"Yes, Senior Nameless. Her sword intent was filled with endless profundities."

"Though she's only at the Early Grandmaster Realm, her understanding of sword intent has far surpassed mine."

"To be defeated by her blade, I have no regrets."

"Still, I won't give up. I will beat her in the future."

Bu Jingyun declared proudly.

"Well said. That is the kind of spirit one should have. Never give up."

==========

Meanwhile.

After Yun Luo defeated Bu Jingyun, she was immediately transported off the stage.

She returned to the Ming Imperial Palace.

High above, the ranking updated.

[Nine Provinces – Sword Ancestor Ranking (Grandmaster Realm)]

[Rank 1 - Yun Luo]

[Rank 2 - Bu Jingyun]

[Rank 3 - Duan Lang]

[Rank 4 - Jian Chen]

[Rank 5 - Xie Xiaofeng]

[Rank 6 - Yan Shisan]

[Rank 7 - Xu Ziling]

[Rank 8 - Yang Guo]

[Rank 9 - Jing Tianming]

[Rank 10 - Linghu Chong]

The ranking displayed the top ten names at a glance.

Compared to the Sword Immortal Ranking, which covered all Sword Immortals in the Nine Provinces.

The Sword Ancestor Ranking was far less comprehensive.

It only ranked those who participated in the tournament.

Those who did not enter, even if stronger, were not included.

Clearly, the value of the Sword Ancestor Ranking was not entirely complete.

Zhu Houzhao glanced at the ranking and shook his head slightly.

To his knowledge, many within the Nine Provinces far surpassed the people on that ranking.

If they had joined, even Yun Luo might not have taken Rank 1.

Like Su Yue of Hundred Yue City, his own daughter.

He was confident that no one could surpass her on the Sword Ancestor Ranking.

Also, within the Azure Dragon Association, there were many sword cultivators stronger than those ranked.

The Heaven Palace, the Earth Mansion, all had numerous hidden cultivators.

Even within various national forces, there were powerful Grandmasters.

Zhu Houzhao, with his vast knowledge, naturally thought this way.

But for ordinary cultivators across the Nine Provinces, this ranking was fully acknowledged.

Because those ranked had defeated countless opponents in the arena to earn their spots.

Witnessed by all.

There were no overlooked candidates.

Even the youngest, Jing Tianming, had a record of many victories.

The ten names on the ranking quickly became household names across the land.

They were renowned.

Yun Luo, the Princess at the top of the ranking, needed no further mention.

Behind her stood the Ming Emperor Zhu Houzhao, a God Demon Realm cultivator.

With such a figure backing her, it was not surprising she topped the ranking.

Bu Jingyun and Duan Lang were former Hidden Dragon Ranking contenders.

Jian Chen was the disciple of Nameless, a legendary figure in Han Dynasty martial circles.

Xie Xiaofeng and Yan Shisan were already renowned within the Ming Martial World.

They would be leading sword cultivators of the future.

Xu Ziling and Jing Tianming were the real surprises.

Especially Xu Ziling, who was only at the Early Innate Realm when the Golden Ranking first emerged.

Now, in just a few months, he had grown this strong.

The Longevity Art was truly extraordinary.

Unfortunately, the Twin Dragons were now disciples of the Sui Empress.

They even commanded a Young Marshal Army. Not people to be trifled with.

And then there was Jing Tianming, the youngest on the ranking.

Now a powerful Grandmaster.

No one could stop his rise to Great Grandmaster.

And if nothing hindered his path, he would one day become a Sword Immortal.

Yang Guo, a previously unknown name.

But some sharp-eyed cultivators recognized his style.

It was Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai's legacy.

Yang Guo was his disciple.

Even Linghu Chong, ranked last, had trained in Dugu Nine Swords.

Suddenly, Dugu Qiubai's name once again echoed across the Nine Provinces.

His past glories were unearthed and widely spread.

The top ten of Sword Ancestor Ranking were admired throughout the Martial World.

They became idols, especially among young beginners.

They were the targets of their dreams.

As for the Sword Immortal Ranking.

Those individuals were too lofty.

Though revered, they felt out of reach.

The Sword Ancestor Ranking was more relatable.

More achievable.

With effort, perhaps one day they could make the ranking too.

Soon, the entire Nine Provinces was abuzz with discussion.

==========

Ming Martial World.

Inside a teahouse.

Lu Xiaofeng and several others sat around a table.

"Xie Xiaofeng, Yan Shisan, what did you two gain from the Sword Ancestor Tournament?"

Hearing Lu Xiaofeng's question, both men smiled wryly.

"We really underestimated the people of the world."

"Everyone on that ranking, including the two of us, is exceptional."

"Even the last-ranked Linghu Chong could have defeated us if we were careless."

"Jing Tianming and Xu Ziling are true prodigies. One is young, the other has trained for a short time."

"Give them time, and we may not be able to defeat them."

"Yang Guo's heavy sword is terrifying. If he were a little older, his rank might be higher."

"And the top few need no comment."

"If we don't work harder, we may really be replaced in the future."

Xie Xiaofeng had always considered himself a sword prodigy, but this time he was deeply humbled.

The blow he once received from Murong Qiudi returned to his mind.

Thankfully, his heart for the sword remained firm, and he did not lose his will.

At that moment, Ximen Chuixue spoke up.

"Xie Xiaofeng, Yan Shisan, both of you are sword cultivators I recognize. How could you possibly lose to others?"

"Indeed, I believe you are outstanding. You and Ximen Chuixue are the future of swordsmanship in the Ming Dynasty."

"How could you fall behind?"

"Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster... these titles mean nothing."

"Our true goal is the Land Immortal Realm."

"As long as we have not reached the Land Immortal Realm, no matter what accomplishments we have as Grandmasters or Great Grandmasters, they are nothing more than child's play."

"Have you noticed that none of the top forces have revealed their top sword cultivators?"

"The Heaven Palace, Earth Mansion, Azure Dragon Association, Divine Search Palace, Heaven Gate, Snow Moon City, Hundred Yue City..."

"And all the great Imperial Courts..."

"These powerful groups surely have sword prodigies who rival or surpass us."

"Yet they did not appear. Why?"

Lu Xiaofeng had seen through the key point.

At his words, everyone fell silent.

Do not assume that being on the Sword Ancestor Ranking makes you one of the top ten sword cultivators in the realm.

This Martial World is deep and vast.

This tournament was merely a platform for some geniuses to broaden their horizons.

Not proof of their supremacy.

Only when your name is officially recognized on the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking.

That will be true recognition of your strength.