Wrapping Up

With a single sword strike, the winds and clouds shifted.

The numerous disciples and elders present were all shaken beyond measure by the power of that strike.

That brilliant flash of sword light remained etched in their minds, impossible to banish.

A master of the Eighth Grade had been obliterated without the slightest power to resist, leaving a profound impression on everyone.

In a corner beneath the stage, Lin Cheng admired his masterpiece and nodded with satisfaction.

Long before, when he gifted Meng Tangtang the spiritual longsword, he had used the miraculous effects of his divine sense to casually seal a strand of Sword Qi within it.

Unlike other Xiantian experts, whose imbued power would dissipate quickly, his could be preserved for a long time due to the divine sense-like effects of his Eye of Truth-Breaking.

Furthermore.

It seemed the power was quite good.

"What kind of technique is this? Striking from afar without a trace?"

Even as experienced as Elder Hao was, he had never seen such a bizarre method. While he breathed a sigh of relief, he felt even more incredulous.

However, even without knowing the wonders of divine sense, he quickly arrived at a reasonable guess: "It seems this girl has good fortune. I don't know where she obtained a defensive treasure crafted by an artifact refiner that contained an attack comparable to a Xiantian expert. I wonder which master's hand it came from; the girl really stumbled upon a lucky find."

It was rumored that the Xiantian ancestor of the Artifact Refiner Sect, one of the ten great sects of the Southern Region, had once crafted similar treasures.

However, the materials were too expensive and the cost-effectiveness too low.

Unless necessary, few artifact refiners would expend the effort to forge them.

This served as side evidence of Meng Tangtang's good luck.

Geniuses were always born accompanied by great destiny.

Elder Hao seemed to see, through Meng Tangtang, the day the sect would rise and suppress all directions.

"Xiantian..."

On the martial arts arena, the last remaining elder of the Blood-Oath Sect trembled with fear, looking around vigilantly. "How is this possible? That old thing's physical body is withered; how could he still act over such a trivial matter? Does he not want his life anymore!"

"Does he not know that without a Xiantian expert holding the fort, the Jingyun Sect will collapse in an instant!"

Fear eroded the elder's body and mind like a venomous snake.

"Elder Chi, what else do you have to say?"

In a blur, several Jingyun Sect elders surrounded him, each with a cold expression.

Elder Hao, in particular, was filled with murderous intent.

It was close.

Just a hair's breadth away!

If not for Meng Tangtang's good luck in obtaining a protective treasure, the Jingyun Sect would have lost this promising talent!

More importantly.

Losing Meng Tangtang, who possessed a Xiantian constitution, would mean losing the only chance for the sect to rise in a thousand years!

Elder Hao's gaze grew increasingly dangerous.

The other elders who had rushed over remained silent, firmly encircling Elder Chi.

"Chi, Mei, Wang, Liang; Heaven-slaying and Earth-ending."

"The eight guardian elders of the Blood-Oath Sect, second only to the Sect Master in status, are all above the Eighth Grade."

"Invading my Jingyun Sect this time, killing you and Elder Mei will serve as interest on the grievances of these past years! Do it!"

At Elder Hao's command, the elders struck in unison, their momentum truly astonishing.

"Damn it!"

"My Blood-Oath Sect has fallen into a trap this time!"

Seeing the situation was dire and unable to escape, Elder Chi laughed venomously before his death: "Jingyun Sect, you are grasshoppers after the autumn frost; let's see how much longer you can hop. In less than three years, the Ten Thousand Alliance will re-evaluate sect rankings. Losing your status as a One-Star Sect will inevitably make you the stepping stone for the rise of my Blood-Oath Sect!"

"I shall go first, and wait for you all!"

With that, he was struck dead by Elder Hao's palm.

"Hmph, you dog of the Blood-Oath Sect, still daring to be mouthy when death is at your doorstep. The state of my Jingyun Sect is not for you beasts of the Blood-Oath Sect to comment on." An elder with a cold expression sneered, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Quick, quick, quick, Old Hao! Where is this promising talent you spoke of? Is she truly of the legendary Xiantian constitution?"

"You aren't pulling our legs, are you?"

With the culprit executed, an elder with a fiery temper could no longer hold back and asked anxiously.

Elder Hao recounted the matter from beginning to end.

It started with the Blood-Oath Sect's provocation, and the Blood God Child defeating Liu Sheng of the inner sect with a single palm.

They went on to discuss how Meng Tangtang had drawn upon the power of heaven and earth, causing her strength to surge.

Then, they mentioned that flash of sword light.

When speaking of that sword light, Elder Hao could not hide the terror on his aged face, and his body even trembled.

It was hard to imagine just how powerful the master of that sword light must be.

One only had to look at the trench left behind not far away to know; if that strike had been aimed at him, Elder Hao admitted he would have fared no better than the eighth-rank elder of the Blood-Oath Sect.

He would have been utterly powerless to resist.

Elder Hao even held back one detail: his intuition told him that the power of that strike was such that even their Supreme Elder, who had been in seclusion for many years, would be severely wounded if faced with it.

It was simply unbelievable!

That was a powerhouse of the Xiantian Realm, a figure capable of anchoring an entire sect single-handedly!

He pondered for a moment.

Because the thought was too shocking, Elder Hao swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

Having heard Elder Hao's description, the other elders were gradually drawn in by the account of that sword strike.

"Terrifying beyond compare! If the master of that sword light were to appear, I fear even if our Supreme Elder took action, he would have no certainty of victory."

"Do you think this sword strike could have come from some senior hidden within our sect..."

The elders looked at one another, and one boldly voiced his speculation.

Elder Hao shook his head, refuting, "Absolutely impossible. If there were truly such a senior in our sect, the Jingyun Sect would not have grown increasingly desolate over the years. We are now at the point where we could fall out of the top ten sects at any moment, and that would be the beginning of our disaster!"

Speaking of sect rankings, one had to mention the most powerful force on the continent: the Alliance of Ten Thousand Sects, or the Ten Thousand Alliance for short.

As the name implied, it was a force that united all the sects on the continent.

It governed the safety of the entire continent, took charge of the overall situation, and mobilized all the strength of the human race to fight against the cruel and bloodthirsty alien races.

If not for the existence of the Ten Thousand Alliance, the human territories would have long since fallen, breached by alien races, with countless people captured as slaves and living lives worse than death.

The Ten Thousand Alliance resisted alien aggression externally.

Internally, it was also responsible for managing the major sects.

It classified the numerous sects into one to six stars based on their contributions and strength.

The hierarchy was strict.

Once a sect was awarded a star rating, it was granted official status, protected by the Ten Thousand Alliance, and received a large allocation of cultivation resources. If a sect lost its star-rated status, it was effectively severed from the core of the human race.

Once attacked by alien races, there would be no reinforcements from the Ten Thousand Alliance, and they would be left to fend for themselves.

The fate of such sects was often miserable.

In the entire Southern Region, excluding the top ten sects, there were hundreds of other sects, large and small.

Yet, to become even the lowest-level one-star sect, the most important criterion was to have a Xiantian Realm powerhouse presiding over it!

By that logic, to become a two-star sect, a Foundation Establishment Venerable was an essential requirement.

Consequently, most ordinary forces either had to grit their teeth and go it alone, or choose to submit to one of the top ten sects, becoming an affiliated sect that paid annual tributes in exchange for protection.

For instance, the Meng Family, where Meng Tangtang resided, was an affiliated sect under the jurisdiction of the Jingyun Sect.

"The Supreme Elder's condition is worsening; I fear his time is within these next two years."

"I doubt he will last until the sect rankings three years from now."

"The Jingyun Sect has made too many enemies over the years, both human and alien. Once we lose our one-star sect status, I fear we will be trampled flat by a pack of wolves in an instant!"

Elder Hao's voice was low.

This was the greatest trouble; otherwise, he would not have been so excited and uncomposed upon seeing a seedling with the potential for the Xiantian Realm.

In truth, there was no other way!

The Jingyun Sect could not exist without a Xiantian powerhouse.

If the Supreme Elder could no longer hold on, they had to cultivate another Xiantian expert to take his place!

Only then could this crisis be resolved!

Meng Tangtang, possessing a Xiantian physique, was the sect's final hope!