Jiuzhou Sword Emperor

The battle held no suspense whatsoever. It was a complete crushing.

"So strong! Is this a young king of the Five Great Blood Clans of the Asura Domain? He truly lives up to his reputation." Many people looked at Qin Lang in shock. Despite his talent and strength, he willingly followed Ning Xuanyuan. By that measure, just how strong was Ning Xuanyuan?

In fact, countless people had watched the battle in secret. This was the Sword Emperor Sect, after all. The heads of its peaks, and even the sect master himself, had been paying attention.

Saint Jianjue watched Qin Lang standing proudly in the air, sword in hand, and felt a slight ripple in his heart. How wonderful it would be if such a monstrous sword cultivator could join the Sword Emperor Sect!

In the seats, the people wore varying expressions, while Su Mo and Su Ting's faces were as dark as water. Su Mo in particular looked extremely cold, his eyes flashing with a chilling light.

He had wanted to take Ning Xuanyuan down a peg, but unexpectedly, he couldn't even deal with Qin Lang.

Qin Lang did not spare Yan Sen another glance. Instead, he looked toward Su Mo and the others. He raised his longsword and pointed its tip straight at Su Mo.

"Don't bother sending trash like that up here to make a spectacle of themselves. If you're unhappy, then get the hell up here!" At Ning Xuanyuan's side, Qin Lang had kept all his brilliance in check. But no one should forget that he was, after all, the leading figure of the Qin Clan's younger generation, a man with the bearing of a king. Apart from Ning Xuanyuan, he had never taken even the other young kings of the blood clans seriously.

Boom!

Thunder shook the heavens as terrifying lightning erupted from Su Mo, his presence fearsome. Challenged to his face by Qin Lang, how could he hold himself back?

"All right, everyone. The sect-opening ceremony is about to begin. If you're interested, you can spar after it ends," Saint Jianjue, who had been watching coldly all this time, said at that moment.

Su Mo's eyes flickered at his words. After glaring fiercely at Qin Lang, he restrained his presence. As a guest, he naturally could not overshadow his hosts and act as he pleased.

Qin Lang also withdrew his sword, then stepped through the air and returned to Ning Xuanyuan's side, where he stood quietly.

"Have you forgotten everything I taught you before we came?" Ning Xuanyuan turned his head slightly and gave Qin Lang a displeased look. "The Dao is hidden within the sword. Don't think about how to control or use the rules. Treating the power of the rules as a part of yourself and merging it with your own being—that is the superior realm."

"With trash like that, you clearly could have finished him with one strike, yet you wasted so much time."

Hearing this, Qin Lang hurriedly lowered his head to receive the lesson and voiced his assent.

Ning Xuanyuan had not spoken quietly, so everyone nearby heard him clearly. Su Mo's face instantly grew so dark it looked ready to drip water. Had Saint Jianjue not been present, he would likely have erupted on the spot.

Saint Jianjue, meanwhile, gave Ning Xuanyuan a surprised look. The Dao was hidden within the sword? Was Ning Xuanyuan's understanding of the rules of the sword Dao truly so profound?

There would have been nothing strange about those words coming from a Saint Realm expert, but what realm was Ning Xuanyuan in?

Saint Jianjue glanced again at Jian Wuya beside him and sighed inwardly. He finally understood why Jian Wuya had not even had the courage to make a move when he faced Ning Xuanyuan that day.

At that moment, the lingering peal of a bell suddenly rang out across the vast Sword Emperor Sect. A group of figures then came walking from the distance. At once, everyone present grew solemn and stood with bowed bodies.

Seeing this, Ning Xuanyuan and the others also rose to their feet, their gazes fixed on the approaching figures.

The master of the Sword Emperor Sect, the Sword Emperor, Li Jiuzhou.

Human Emperor experts did not show themselves lightly. For today's sect-opening ceremony, people from many holy lands and imperial dynasties had come to observe. Though all who had come were experts of the younger generation, every one of them held an important status.

Thus, the Sword Emperor had appeared. One reason was to show respect to those who had come to observe; the other was the importance he placed on the sect-opening ceremony.

"Greetings, Sect Master." Countless disciples of the Sword Emperor Sect saluted, and Ning Xuanyuan and the others also cupped their hands in greeting.

Before a Human Emperor, everyone reined in much of their unruly arrogance. After all, experts of that level stood at the pinnacle of the eight domains.

The Sword Emperor Li Jiuzhou was a man of great virtue and prestige. Never mind the Wanxiang Ancient Domain—even throughout the Ancient Eight Domains, he enjoyed an extremely high standing and great influence.

Smiling, Li Jiuzhou waved a hand, and only then did everyone straighten up.

Li Jiuzhou then walked to the very front of the square. A raised platform had long since been erected there, with a throne placed atop it.

Li Jiuzhou walked to the throne and sat down. Though his face was full of smiles, everyone could feel the invisible presence he carried.

For some reason, Li Jiuzhou glanced seemingly inadvertently at Ning Xuanyuan before looking down below.

The vast space fell silent at that moment.

The Sword Emperor sat upright, seemingly one with the surrounding Heaven and Earth Realm, united with the Great Dao. The invisible force of heaven and earth gathered around him, and that insubstantial, elusive presence alone was enough to awe everyone present.

"Today marks the day, once every ten years, when my Sword Emperor Sect opens its gates wide to recruit disciples. You have traveled ten thousand li to observe, and both I and the Sword Emperor Sect are deeply honored." Li Jiuzhou nodded toward the guest seats opposite him, his bearing extraordinary. "If there is any shortcoming in our hospitality, I ask for your forbearance."

Everyone hurriedly nodded in response.

"Let us begin, then. There is no need for anyone to stand on ceremony."

With Li Jiuzhou's announcement, the invisible presence vanished, and the atmosphere instantly grew lively.

Around the square, many figures began stepping forward to undergo the assessment. Young experts came out one after another, all displaying extraordinary talent and strength. After all, those confident enough to come to the Sword Emperor Sect and take the assessment were elites to begin with. Otherwise, they would only make fools of themselves.

As time passed, dazzling prodigies emerged one after another, displaying brilliant talent. They passed the assessment with ease and became disciples of the Sword Emperor Sect.

"The Wanxiang Ancient Domain produces outstanding people in abundance. In this one domain alone, we can see so many extraordinary figures. One can imagine how many favored children of heaven there must be across the vast eight domains." From the throne at the head of the gathering, Sword Emperor Sect Master Li Jiuzhou spoke, drawing everyone's attention.

"Those who have come to observe today are all top monstrous talents of their respective regions, exceptional figures capable of leading, or even suppressing, an entire era," Li Jiuzhou said, looking down at the people in the guest seats.

His words were not flattery. As a Human Emperor expert, he disdained such things; he was simply stating the truth.

Which of those present did not shine with boundless brilliance and possess world-shaking talent?

In their seats, everyone wore a hint of pride. To be praised by a Human Emperor was itself something to be proud of.

But after Li Jiuzhou finished speaking, his gaze shifted and fell on Ning Xuanyuan.