Legend of Swordsman

Jian Wushuang was an incredibly powerful cultivator, known as the Clearwater Sword Immortal. He was also the top disciple under Shangguan Xuan and had successfully passed the seventh level of the ancient tower. His strength far surpassed that of Shangguan at the time.

Of course, Shangguan Yu, whom Jian Wushuang had taken, also possessed the strength to pass the seventh level but had been too preoccupied with his adventures to attempt it.

Zhao Qing, on the other hand, had the support of Emperor Yue Ying and several tier 2 Emperors. Needless to say, numerous Dao Lords also stood by his side.

The grand hall was divided, with both factions representing different forces.

Shangguan Yu’s side was not lacking in power either. Emperor Yuqing led the charge, accompanied by several Emperors who had close ties with Shangguan Xuan. There were also many Dao Lords, most of whom held significant positions, like those Dao Lords brought by Senior Brother Li, who were generals within the Heavenly Soldiers.

Their strength had been proven by passing the sixth level of the ancient tower.

The ancient tower was divided into nine levels and had three towers in total. The first tower was for mortals, from the innate stage to the Mahayana stage. The second tower was for Dao Lords, with its nine levels representing the limits of a Dao Lord.

Zhao Qing had passed the seventh level, which signified the limit of a Dao Lord’s power. His divine power had multiplied five thousandfold, his Origin Source had reached perfection, and it was a top-tier Origin Source. His strength was now comparable to that of a tier 1 Emperor.

In the history of the Ancient Court, there had been fewer than a hundred Dao Lords who had passed the seventh level. Of those, 99% had failed in merging with the Dao.

This was why Zhao Qing had garnered a lot of support. Some of the Emperors who were on good terms with Shangguan Xuan were rooting for him, although they doubted his character. After all, his greed was undeniable.

Upon further reflection, it became clear that Zhao Qing had reached the brink of merging with the Dao and was eager to succeed. He cared little for the power his master left behind. However, to successfully merge with the Dao, he needed an enormous amount of resources.

Currently, the Ancient Court had four Dao Lords who had passed the seventh level, all preparing to merge with the Dao. However, there were limited treasures available for the merger, and four individuals would not be able to split them evenly.

In this world, background was everything.

Aside from Zhao Qing, the other three Dao Lords who had passed the seventh level had incredibly strong backgrounds.

The first Dao Lord to pass the seventh level was a disciple of Dragon Lord, one of the founding ministers of the Ancient Court. Both of the subsequent Celestial Kings were also his disciples. Dragon Lord was someone even the Great Heavenly Venerable Yuan Zheng had to show respect to.

Though Dragon Lord was above granting favors to his disciples, the Ancient Court was still more inclined to support his protégés because of their legacy. Zhao Qing could not compare to that.

The second Dao Lord was a disciple of the Celestial King of the second generation, Real Master Sancai, another impossible background to match.

The third Dao Lord had a relatively ordinary background—his master was merely a Dao Lord, and he hailed from a humble barbarian village. However, his talent was exceptional; he had comprehended two top-tier Origin Sources and was the strongest among them all. He had even caught the attention of the current Celestial King, Bai Yue, who, though not accepting him as a disciple, promised to give him special treatment.

After all, the strongest talent and power would naturally receive the greatest support.

Then there was Zhao Qing. He was the personal disciple of Shangguan Xuan, the top disciple of the Sword Pavilion. His position, status, and strength were all formidable.

However, after his master’s sudden death, everything crumbled. Zhao Qing wanted to protect the Sword Pavilion, but with what? He could barely take care of himself, let alone ensure a future for his fellow disciples.

At this critical juncture, Emperor Yue Ying came to him with an irresistible offer: marriage into the Emperor’s family.

He would become the Emperor’s son-in-law, receive the favor of Emperor Duobao, and be provided with all the necessary treasures for merging with the Dao.

Faced with this condition, he couldn’t refuse.

Emperor Yue Ying wasn’t foolish either. He was fully aware of his daughter’s worth, and marrying her to Zhao Qing was clearly aiming high.

Moreover, having Zhao Qing bring the entire Sword Pavilion to pledge allegiance was an incredibly profitable deal. As for the few precious treasures that would be spent, he didn’t care; his disciples would cover the cost.

It was, in essence, a purely profitable arrangement.

The current dispute between the two sides was merely about saving face.

In the end, Emperor Yue Ying would win.

Because in the Ancient Court, strength was what truly spoke.

Shangguan Xuan had fallen, and without an Emperor, the Sword Pavilion would be swallowed up.

A Sword Pavilion without an Emperor could no longer be called the Sword Pavilion.

Shangguan Yu couldn’t hold onto it.

A Dao Master of the sixth level in the Ancient Tower had no voice in the matter.

Even though he was the son of an Emperor.

But without the Emperor, how many cards did this son truly have left to play?

As more and more people came to offer condolences, the gap between the two sides widened.

Shangguan Yu’s side was only supported by a few die-hard loyalists.

But these people didn’t have much faith in Shangguan Yu; they were merely sticking around out of loyalty.

On the other hand, Zhao Qing’s side seemed to have already decided that the Sword Pavilion would be swallowed up.

Shangguan Yu would face utter defeat.

At that moment, another name was announced from outside.

“Lord Long has arrived!”

Upon hearing that Lord Long had arrived, everyone grew solemn.

He was the foundation of the Ancient Court.

Its greatest contributor.

Though he hadn’t ascended to the rank of True Immortal, he was a figure whom even the three Immortal Kings treated with equality.

A tier 4 Emperor in combat power, Lord Long was one of the most powerful figures in the entire Ancient Domain World.

His arrival calmed the tense atmosphere.

The imposing elder, with a commanding presence, strode into the grand hall.

Following behind him was a woman dressed in white.

The woman’s brow carried a hint of coldness, but her eyes were soft.

Sword energy resided in her heart, and life in her spirit.

Upon seeing the woman, Shangguan Yu’s heart stirred. “Jiang Ni!”

He hadn’t expected Jiang Ni to come.

By all rights, Jiang Ni had only recently arrived at the Ancient Court and probably didn’t know Shangguan Xuan well—at most, they’d exchanged greetings. Her presence here showed great respect to the deceased.

What shocked him even more was that Jiang Ni’s aura had grown significantly stronger.

It seemed that her mastery over the Origin Source of Life had reached perfection.

She had now perfected two Ultimate Origins.

Jiang Ni’s combat power had likely reached the pinnacle.

Terrifying!

Although she was still a Dao Master, she was the strongest in the entire Ancient Domain World.

No one could stand against her.

Not even the Void Cultivators or the Holy Lords who had not yet fallen could be her match.

Even Jian Wushuang himself wasn’t confident in defeating the current Jiang Ni.

There was nothing he could do. She was in her prime, while he, a Universe Master, without the divine blood of the Divine Eye Clan transforming him into a golden-armored puppet, didn’t even have peak-level combat power.

The only way he could win against Jiang Ni was through a soul attack.

Lord Long’s arrival eased the tension in the hall.

When everyone saw Jiang Ni, many of them showed cold expressions.

This was because Jiang Ni hadn’t even joined the Ancient Court halfway through; she had only just joined.

She wasn’t here just to pay respects to Shangguan Xuan. Rather, right after joining the Ancient Court, she was granted the unprecedented privilege of ascending to the Ninth Heaven as a Dao Master.

This was something only the Emperor knew—none of the Dao Masters were aware.

Besides the Ninth Heaven, a special treasure trove deep within the court’s underground cellar, accessible only to the Immortal Kings of the Ancient Court, had also been opened—specifically for Jiang Ni.

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