The Pinnacle of the Sword Dao, Delivering the Sword Tower Himself

Before the True Martial Mountain.

Silence.

Only Tang Qiu's wailing echoed. This once high and mighty sect leader of the Sword-Questioning Pavilion was now crying like a helpless child. In front of him were the corpses of several members of the Sword-Questioning Pavilion. He tremblingly reached out his hand, but then withdrew it as if he had been electrocuted.

He was terrified.

Although he didn't know why Heavenly Sword Real Person had spared his life, he dared not make any unnecessary moves at this moment.

But no one in the True Martial Sect sympathized with Tang Qiu.

Especially for the many disciples guarding the mountain who had previously witnessed the Sword-Questioning Pavilion members, two words came to mind.

Serves you right!

The crowd gazed in awe at the gradually fading True Martial Sword Stele, their eyes filled with genuine reverence and awe.

What just happened was truly astonishing.

The thirty-six celestial swords transformed into Sword Formation, forcefully killing Gu Changhe with overwhelming force and without any suspense.

Some disciples of True Martial have already discerned the mystery within.

"Senior Tianjian used... the Heavenly Gang Sword Formation? Could it be that Senior Tianjian created the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Sword Formation?"

While they were amazed, they also felt an unprecedented fervor. The Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Sword Formation had now become a major trademark of the True Martial Sect, and many True Martial disciples had exchanged for this Sword Formation and then practiced it together.

In the past, although they had diligently practiced the Sword Formation formation, it was never as eager and urgent as it is now.

They saw a connection with the Heavenly Sword Real Person, and at the same time, they harbored a deep-seated longing: what if one day they too could independently evolve the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Sword Formation?

The three hundred newly initiated seedlings stared wide-eyed, utterly awestruck.

Rumors are never as good as seeing.

The Heavenly Sword Real Person was destined to be the goal they would strive to reach throughout their lives.

Dog Egg clenched his fists, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"One day I will definitely be as strong as Senior Tianjian and protect our True Martial Sect!"

These days.

He finally felt at home again.

He had plenty of food, clean clothes, and a sheltered place to live. No one looked down on him, and he could even practice martial arts. Even his younger sister was allowed to stay with him on True Martial Mountain. He was filled with gratitude.

Luo Wentian sensed the changing spirits of the disciples around him and smiled inwardly.

This is a good thing.

In fact, even though he was mentally prepared, he was still taken aback and secretly clicked his tongue in surprise. He originally thought that it would be like last time, with Ning Qi appearing and fighting against the Heart-Questioning Sword. But he didn't expect that Ning Qi would not even show his face, but would simply activate the sword monument and easily defeat Gu Changhe.

He didn't have time to marvel at Ning Qi's strength; he smiled and walked towards Tang Qiu, his voice somewhat calm:

"Sect Leader Tang, can we now properly discuss the matter of the spies?"

Tang Qiu was startled.

The calm Luo Wentian appeared terrifying in his eyes, like a demon, a manifestation of the Heavenly Sword Real Person. He trembled, realizing why he had survived. He dared not look Luo Wentian in the eye, and simply said:

"Alright, alright... Sect Leader Luo, you're in charge."

Luo Wentian smiled broadly and warmly welcomed Tang Qiu inside, as if the previous conflict had never occurred.

At the True Martial Mountain.

Silence reigned.

The arriving martial artists froze, their mouths agape as they stared in disbelief at the corpse that had fallen from the sky.

They had expected an epic battle.

But I never expected it to turn out like this.

The Sword of Inquiry was dealt with just like that, without even the Heavenly Sword Real Person showing up, which was beyond everyone's expectations.

Chen Xing hissed and glared angrily at Chen Yue:

Why are you pinching me?

Chen Yue murmured:

"It's true, the Heart-Questioning Sword was slain by the Heavenly Sword Real Person!"

Veins bulged on Chen Xing's forehead, but her anger quickly turned into a long sigh. The shock in her eyes was no less than that in Chen Yue's.

"This Heavenly Sword Real Person... is truly terrifying. In the past, I thought that it was a blessing for the True Martial Sect to have allied themselves with the Prince. I always felt that the True Martial Sect was too small to accommodate the young master. But now it seems that I was too naive. The Prince is the Prince after all. He may have already realized this."

Chen Yue nodded in agreement, then let out a painful hiss. Chen Xing took advantage of her inattention and pinched her back.

The two sisters are just a microcosm.

All the martial artists were shocked.

Once all the strange phenomena disappeared, Tang Qiu, along with Luo Wentian and the others, vanished into the Mountain Gate, followed by a chorus of exclamations.

"The Heavenly Sword Real Person's strength is unfathomable! 36th on the Celestial Person Ranking? This is simply the biggest fallacy in this year's Celestial Person Ranking!"

"Even the fourteenth on the Celestial Person Ranking suffered such a crushing defeat, so Heavenly Sword Real Person must possess the strength of someone in the top ten, or even the top five, of the Celestial Person Ranking!"

"Who said that the Heavenly Sword Real Person is short? This might be a late-blooming sword god, whose rise is unstoppable. Perhaps he can reach the realm of Sword Saint before his lifespan reaches its limit and continue for another thousand years!"

Excited discussions erupted.

Everyone was expressing their shock without restraint.

They were trying their best to exaggerate the strength of the Heavenly Sword Real Person, not wanting to be "slapped in the face" time and time again.

If it weren't for the fact that the higher one goes on the Celestial Person Ranking, the stronger those peerless old monsters become, they might even have dared to defy convention and place the Heavenly Sword Real Person in an inconceivable position.

Even so.

Heavenly Sword Real Person has already reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Some swordsmen couldn't help but compare him to the "Sun-Chasing Sword King," who ranked fifth on the Celestial Person Ranking.

The Sword King Who Chases the Sun is a true legend of Sword Dao. He held the title of "Number One Swordsman Under Heaven" for two hundred years, a position that no one could shake. Any one of his many achievements is astonishing, and no swordsman dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

But now.

The Heavenly Sword Real Person's performance made them start to speculate.

No one knows the limits of Heavenly Sword Real Person's abilities.

Qin Yun stared intently in the direction of True Martial Mountain. The place that was once so familiar had become an unattainable dream, and even felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.

He sighed softly.

I recalled the strange Daoist priest I had encountered when Dao-Seeking Courtyard at night years ago.

Before the Heavenly Sword Real Person appeared, he thought that was the Heavenly Sword Real Person. But after seeing the Heavenly Sword Real Person's battle with the Thunderclap Blade Master, he felt that it wasn't him. But today, for some reason, he now feels that it is.

It's probably because Heavenly Sword Real Person rose to power too quickly.

This gave him a misconception—

"Heavenly Sword Real Person isn't hiding his strength; rather, he has suddenly acquired such formidable power in just a few short years!"

The strange thought startled him, and he immediately shook his head and smiled bitterly.

How could that be?

He overdrafted four hundred years of his lifespan in the Blood Demon Pool, and only barely reached the Celestial Person Realm. How could someone have such terrifying strength in just a few years? Even if he used up the extra four hundred years of his lifespan after advancing to the Celestial Person, he would still be far from reaching the level of Heavenly Sword Real Person.

He realized that perhaps it was because of the psychological trauma inflicted by that Daoist priest from back then.

"He's probably only at the Gang Essence Realm. If I were to encounter him now, I could easily defeat him." A jumble of thoughts raced through Qin Yun's mind.

Unconsciously, he glanced at the Southern Frontier Saintess beside him. A gentle breeze ruffled a corner of her black veil, revealing her delicate, pointed chin. The woman behind the chin was silent, no longer as lively as before. Qin Yun subconsciously asked:

"Holy Maiden, what are you thinking?"

The two had already quietly left, walking in a mountain forest, where the wind rustled through the leaves.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang sighed softly:

"I'm wondering how much of a threat Heavenly Sword Real Person would pose to us if he went berserk."

Qin Yun's spirits lifted, and he almost forgot about the important matter at hand.

The purpose of this trip is to assess the strength of Heavenly Sword Real Person in order to determine what actions to take against the True Martial Sect. Previously, the plan was to secretly capture some important figures of the True Martial Sect for interrogation, as the attempt to infiltrate them with spies had failed.

And now.

Heavenly Sword Real Person undoubtedly gave them a huge surprise.

Qin Yun remained calm and simply said:

"While the top ten, or even the top five, on the Celestial Person Ranking are very strong, our Holy Gate and your Southern Frontier have plenty of others like them, so why worry?"

After learning about the strength of the Heavenly Sword Real Person, he was no longer in such a hurry. He knew the ways of the Demon Sect and the Southern Border, and would be more cautious in front of such a powerful figure. Although he was not afraid, there was no need to offend him.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang glanced at Qin Yun and said:

"Is Saint Qin so certain that this is the full strength of Heavenly Sword Real Person? What if he can rival the Blade Demon and catch up with Elder Listening to the Wind?"

"Even if we can deal with someone like that, we need to eliminate him completely. Otherwise, we'll create a deadly feud, and if he's lurking in the shadows, it'll be endless trouble."

She glanced back at the True Martial Sect and sighed softly.

"It seems we need to take it slow. We can't be so simplistic and crude. Let's start the investigation from the Blood King Gu again. I recently discovered something interesting, and it happens to be somewhat related to Saint Qin."

Qin Yun was taken aback.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang chuckled:

"Ten years ago, Daoist Longshan brought back an infant named Ning Qi, who is your ninth junior brother, Saint Qin. He may not have been picked up from the wilderness by Daoist Longshan, but was born in the Snow Plum Manor, which was wiped out that year. Of course, you may not have even heard of this name. If I hadn't been looking through old files, I would never have known about him."

She had studied Qin Yun and the True Martial Sect, and roughly guessed part of the reason why Qin Yun left the True Martial Sect.

Qin Yun's pupils contracted sharply.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang continued:

"Back then, the master of the Snow Plum Manor discovered the Blood King Gu. A small branch of our Southern Frontier in Qingzhou wiped them out, but unexpectedly, that foolish fellow missed one person, who was rescued by Daoist Longshan."

"Of course, he was actually paying attention to this matter and had even suspected that the Daoist Longshan brought back might be a survivor from the Snow Plum Manor. However, at that time, Blood Rain Tower was about to be established and rewards were being distributed, so this guy kept quiet about it and no one infiltrated True Martial Mountain to investigate."

In fact.

Back then, "Lord Feng" was greatly surprised when he learned that Daoist Daoist Longshan had brought back an infant named Ning Qi.

But after much deliberation, he ultimately decided to keep the matter quiet.

Firstly, he was currently being promoted based on his merits and didn't want to cause any trouble. If the investigation continued and involved Daoist Longshan, a powerful cultivator at the Yuan Pill Realm, it would likely require even more effort.

Secondly, he suspected that the Daoist Longshan was deliberately luring him out by giving the baby the surname "Ning," since how could a baby possibly survive such a fire?

Even if we assume the baby is indeed the son of Ning Ye and his wife, it would take decades or even centuries for him to seek revenge. By then, he might already be at the Celestial Person Realm and wouldn't be worried at all.

A surge of killing intent towards the Southern Frontier Alliance welled up within Qin Yun, but he said calmly:

"What does this have to do with the destruction of the Qingzhou stronghold?"

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang stopped and said:

"Daoist Longshan has been investigating the Blood Rain Tower for several years now. Although he did it discreetly, there are still traces. The True Martial Sect's motives are even stronger, which alone makes them suspicious. On the other hand, regarding the Prince of Zhenbei, our two families have spent so much manpower and resources over this period of time, yet there is not a single trace. Isn't that enough to explain the problem?"

Qin Yun said:

"So, according to the Holy Maiden's intention, she wants to wipe out the True Martial Sect in one fell swoop?"

A sigh echoed through the woods:

"If this had happened before today, it would have been simple."

"But for now, just wait. It's not a good thing to provoke such a troublesome enemy before our two Martial Saint are born. Once our Martial Saints are Martial Saint, Heavenly Sword Real Person will be nothing more than a large ant."

"At that time... we'll just use the True Martial Sect as a sacrifice."

Qin Yun felt a chill run down his spine.

A shadow gradually rose in his eyes.

It wasn't just because of the True Martial Sect's predicament, but also because of the subtle reminder given by the Southern Border Saintess's words.

It's obvious.

The Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier had quietly uncovered a great deal of intelligence and even devised a strategy against the True Martial Sect, but he was completely unaware of this and excluded from the investigation. This meant that he had lost the Demon Sect Sect's trust. If the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier hadn't subtly pointed this out, he probably would have thought that the two forces were slowly investigating and preparing to abduct important figures of the True Martial Sect for interrogation.

If it weren't for the extraordinary combat power of Heavenly Sword Real Person today, perhaps in just a few days the experts from both sides would have climbed the mountain and wiped out the entire family, while he would have been kept in the dark.

"When exactly did you start to doubt me?"

"Was it during the first meeting with the Southern Frontier Alliance to discuss the matter? Or was it when spies were sent in for the assessment?"

Qin Yun lowered his head, realizing that he had greatly underestimated the Demon Sect. He had thought he had done everything perfectly, but now it seemed somewhat ridiculous. He was only still of value; he might become a discarded pawn at any time.

Qin Yun regained consciousness.

The arrogance he felt after emerging from the Blood Demon Pool and becoming a candidate for Holy Son vanished completely.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang did not turn back; she walked faster and faster until her figure disappeared into the mountains and forests, leaving only a faint voice:

"Sage Qin, indecisiveness is not a good habit."

Qin Yun's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

He realized that he was facing a choice.

The Sword of Inquiry fell, and the body perished!

The news swept through the Great Flame with terrifying speed. The Celestial Person Ranking only selects thirty-six people, and Gu Changhe, who ranked fourteenth, was already among the top on the Celestial Person Ranking. The fall of such an unparalleled expert was definitely a major event that would shake the world.

And if we add one more thing--

The Sword of Inquiry was easily suppressed by the Heavenly Sword Real Person, who killed him with a single strike.

This news was like an earthquake.

The first reaction of everyone who heard the news was disbelief. The recent conflict between the Sword-Questioning Pavilion and True Martial Sect had attracted much attention, but the ending with the fall of Wenxin Sword was something they never expected.

But when those who were present that day stood up...

You have to believe it whether you want to or not.

After all, there were quite a few experts at the Celestial Person Realm among those who watched the battle that day.

There's absolutely no need to lie about this; it's obvious as soon as you expose it.

In an instant.

The Heavenly Sword Real Person is renowned throughout the land.

Throughout the thirteen provinces of the Great Flame, people were discussing it.

Especially after the details of the fight between Gu Changhe and Heavenly Sword Real Person were revealed, the swordsmen became even more excited. Almost everyone felt that Heavenly Sword Real Person already had the strength to challenge for the title of the number one swordsman in the world.

The fame of the True Martial Sword Stele grew. The Heavenly Sword Real Person never showed himself, but he used the sword stele to summon Heavenly Thunder lightning to create a heavenly sword and killed Gu Changhe. This made all swordsmen yearn for the True Martial Sword Stele, and many swordsmen began to set off for True Martial Mountain.

After hearing the details of the great battle, Thunder Blade Master remained silent for a long time.

His eyes held shock and confusion.

"The sword monument draws in Heavenly Thunder? That sounds... more like Heavenly Thunder blade."

He recalled the Thunderclap Manual that had been sent up the mountain and the Heavenly Thunder Blade that had been given as an apology. He shuddered and broke out in a cold sweat. Then he announced that he would go into seclusion for twenty years!

It's being talked about everywhere.

One after another, martial artists were amazed, and one after another, martial arts sects elevated the status of the True Martial Sect to a new level.

The members of the Wuxiang Sect broke out in a cold sweat.

Their emotional journey was quite tortuous. At first, they were wary of Heavenly Sword Real Person and sent many apologies, but after seeing Sword-Questioning Pavilion stand firm for two months, they regretted it and felt that they had given in too quickly, which caused their reputation to plummet.

But now, after seeing the fate of the Sword-Questioning Pavilion, they can only feel fortunate.

Luckily, I chickened out quickly.

The Prince of Zhenbei looked at the letter sent by Chen Xing and Chen Yue. Apart from a detailed description of the great battle that day, it was full of praise for his discerning eye.

He was somewhat confused.

"Does this king truly possess discerning eyes?"

Chen Xing and Chen Yue thought that he had known about the power of the Heavenly Sword Real Person before sending Li Ling to True Martial Mountain, but that was not the case at all. He was actually sending Li Ling there because of the Daoist Longshan.

The Prince of Zhenbei rarely managed a bitter smile.

He was present when Thunder Blade Master and Heavenly Sword Real Person fought. He once lamented that Heavenly Sword Real Person's Sword Intent was unparalleled, but his cultivation level was not high enough to support it, so he could not truly stand at the top of the Celestial Person Realm. But now it seems that Heavenly Sword Real Person cannot be judged by ordinary standards.

This was an aging sword god, undoubtedly on par with him. After seeing Chen Xing and Chen Yue's description, he vaguely felt that perhaps this was not the limit of the Heavenly Sword Real Person.

The Prince of Zhenbei had even more to think about.

"I should have realized it sooner. Heavenly Sword Real Person wanted to know about the Martial Saint, he must have already Perfection of the Three Flowers of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and was exploring the path to becoming Martial Saint."

There was longing in his eyes.

"The path to becoming Martial Saint is incredibly difficult; having a companion is a good thing."

"However, this time, some old monsters might be alerted."

He hesitated for a moment.

I still choose to go to True Martial Mountain.

This matter is far from over.

He wanted to remind the True Martial Sect not to go too far with the Sword-Questioning Pavilion, as many eyes would be watching them, lest they leave any evidence against them. Sometimes, ruthless extermination is not a good thing.

but.

Luo Wentian clearly didn't intend to go all out; he couldn't bring himself to do something as evil as wiping out an entire family.

All we need to do is ensure that the Sword-Questioning Pavilion ceases to be a threat from now on.

After friendly consultations with Tang Qiu.

The Sword-Questioning Pavilion ultimately agreed to the following conditions.

First, the Sword-Questioning Pavilion has been closed to the world for two hundred years, and no one is allowed to emerge from it.

Secondly, the Inheritance Sword Tower will be donated to the True Martial Sect free of charge.

Third, make a copy of all the sect's martial arts and classic texts and send it to the True Martial Sect.

Fourth, compensation shall include a quantity of spirit medicine, rare materials, and a precious sword.

Tang Qiu staggered back to the Sword-Questioning Pavilion, not knowing how he got there.

After these conditions were stated.

Some people were furious.

"We'll fight them to the death!"

But Tang Qiu's quiet words calmed them down:

"Then will they be slaughtered like pigs and dogs by Heavenly Sword Real Person? If they agree to these conditions and survive for two hundred years, there is still hope for the Sword-Questioning Pavilion."

Everyone felt regret.

One wrong step leads to another.

They should never have coveted the True Martial Sword Stele; now they're even giving away their own family's Inheritance sword tower.

Everyone gritted their teeth.

At one point, the two remaining Celestial Person Realm actually hoped that the True Martial Sect would be ruthless and wipe out the Sword-Questioning Pavilion, so that after they fled far away, they could lie in wait in the shadows and take revenge on the True Martial Sect without restraint.

But now.

Keeping Sword-Questioning Pavilion alive is their Achilles' heel.

Would they dare to use underhanded tactics against the True Martial Sect? Absolutely not.

"When will they come to move the Sword Tower?" a Celestial Person Realm elder sighed softly.

Tang Qiu dared not look them in the eye, but whispered:

They want you two to deliver it in person.

Another old man coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

This is outrageous!

Chaos Sword-Questioning Pavilion, and a sense of powerlessness filled everyone's bodies.

That night.

Some people vaguely saw two Celestial Person dragging a sword tower hundreds of feet tall as they sped through the night.