The Aftermath

One sword stroke, and the winds and clouds changed color.

The many disciples and elders present were all utterly shaken by the power of that single sword stroke.

That dazzling sword light lingered in their minds, impossible to dispel.

An Eighth Grade Realm expert had been slain without the slightest ability to resist, leaving a deep impression on everyone.

In a corner beneath the platform, Lin Cheng admired his handiwork and nodded in satisfaction.

Back when he had given Meng Tangtang the spiritual weapon sword, he had used the wondrous effect of his divine sense to casually seal away a strand of Sword Qi.

Unlike other Innate experts, whose power would quickly dissipate even if they attached it to something,

the effect of his Eye of Truth-Breaking, which was similar to divine sense, allowed him to preserve it for a long time.

And...

It seemed the power was pretty good.

"What kind of ability is this? It leaves no trace, yet can wound someone from a distance?"

Even Elder Hao, a man of broad experience, had never seen such an extraordinary ability. Though he was relieved, he found it even more unbelievable.

Still, though he didn't know the wonders of divine sense, he quickly came up with a reasonable guess. "It seems this girl had quite a lucky encounter. She somehow obtained a protective treasure made by an artifact refiner, one that contains an attack comparable to an Innate expert's. I wonder which master made it. This girl must have stumbled upon a real bargain."

It was said that the Innate Realm ancestor of the Artifact Refiner Sect, one of the Southern Region's Ten Great Sects, had once crafted a similar treasure.

But the materials were far too costly, making it poor value for money.

Unless absolutely necessary, few artifact refiners would pour their time and effort into making one.

This only went to show how lucky Meng Tangtang was.

Talented people were always born alongside great fortune.

Looking at Meng Tangtang, Elder Hao seemed to see a day when the sect would rise to prominence and suppress all opposition.

"Innate..."

On the martial arts field, the lone remaining elder of the Blood-Oath Sect trembled with fear, warily looking all around. "How is this possible? That old geezer's body is withered away, yet he still dares to act over such a trivial matter? Is he trying to get himself killed?"

"Doesn't he know that without an Innate expert guarding it, Jingyun Sect will collapse in an instant?"

Fear slithered through the elder's heart like a venomous snake.

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

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

Elder Hao, in particular, was enveloped in killing intent.

They had almost—

Almost lost her!

If Meng Tangtang hadn't been lucky enough to obtain a protective treasure, Jingyun Sect would have lost this promising young talent!

More importantly,

without her Innate constitution, Meng Tangtang would have lost the sect's only chance to rise to prominence in hundreds of years!

Elder Hao's gaze grew ever more dangerous.

The other elders who had rushed over after hearing the commotion said nothing, simply closing in around Elder Chi.

"Chi, Mei, Wang, Heaven-Killer and Earth-Extinguisher."

"The Blood-Oath Sect's Eight Guardian Elders rank just below the sect master, and all are at the Eighth Grade Realm or above."

"You dared to invade Jingyun Sect this time. We'll kill you, Elder Chi, and Elder Mei, and take it as interest on the grudges we've accumulated all these years! Attack!"

At Elder Hao's command, all the elders attacked at once, their combined force astonishing.

"Damn it!"

"The Blood-Oath Sect has taken a fall this time!"

Seeing that the situation had turned against him and finding no chance to escape, Elder Chi let out a venomous laugh before his death. "Jingyun Sect, you're like grasshoppers in autumn! Let's see how much longer you can keep jumping around. In less than three years, the Ten Thousand Alliance will reevaluate the sect rankings. Once you lose your one-star sect status, you're bound to become a stepping stone for the Blood-Oath Sect's rise!"

"This old man will go ahead. I'll be waiting for you!"

With that, Elder Hao struck him down with a single palm.

"Hmph. Those Blood-Oath Sect dogs are about to die, and they still dare to run their mouths. What happens to Jingyun Sect isn't for Blood-Oath Sect beasts like you to comment on." A cold-faced elder sneered, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Quick, quick, quick, old Hao! Where's the promising young talent you mentioned? Is she really blessed with the legendary Innate constitution?"

"You're not pulling our leg, are you?"

With the culprits dead, an elder with a fiery temper could no longer contain himself and asked anxiously.

Elder Hao recounted everything from beginning to end.

First, the Blood-Oath Sect had provoked them, and Blood God Child had defeated the inner disciple Liu Sheng with a single palm strike.

Then he told them how Meng Tangtang had drawn upon the power of heaven and earth, causing her strength to soar.

After that, he mentioned the sword light.

When he spoke of that sword light, Elder Hao couldn't hide the fear on his aged face, and his body trembled.

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

The answer lay in the ravine left behind nearby. If that sword had been aimed at him, Elder Hao was certain he would have fared no better than the Blood-Oath Sect's Eighth Grade Realm elder.

He would have been utterly powerless to resist.

There was something else Elder Hao didn't say aloud. His instincts told him that even the Supreme Elder, who had been in seclusion for many years, would be badly wounded if he faced the full force of that sword.

It was simply unbelievable!

That was an Innate expert, a being who could guard an entire sect alone!

After thinking it over,

Elder Hao swallowed back the words before they could leave his mouth. The thought was simply too shocking.

After hearing Elder Hao's account,

the other elders gradually became captivated by the sword he described.

"Utterly terrifying! If the master of that sword light appeared, I doubt even the Supreme Elder could be sure of defeating him."

"Do you think that sword could have come from some hidden senior of our sect...?"

The elders looked at one another. One of them boldly voiced his guess.

Elder Hao shook his head and denied it. "Absolutely not. If we really had a senior like that in the sect, Jingyun Sect wouldn't have become more and more desolate over the years. We wouldn't be on the verge of falling out of the Ten Great Sects. That would be when the disaster began!"

Speaking of sect rankings, they had to mention the most powerful force on the continent: the Alliance of Ten Thousand Sects, commonly known as the Ten Thousand Alliance.

Just as its name suggested,

it was an alliance formed by all the sects on the continent.

It managed the security of the entire continent, coordinated affairs as a whole, and mobilized all of humanity's strength to fight the cruel, bloodthirsty alien races.

If not for the Ten Thousand Alliance,

human territory would have fallen long ago, breached by the alien races. Countless people would have been captured and enslaved, living lives worse than death.

The Ten Thousand Alliance resisted alien invasions from without.

Within human lands, it also managed the various sects.

Based on merit and strength, it ranked the sects from one to six stars.

The hierarchy was strict.

Any sect granted a star ranking was given official status and placed under the Ten Thousand Alliance's protection. It would also receive plentiful cultivation resources. Losing that status meant being cut off from the heart of humanity.

If attacked by the alien races, it would receive no reinforcements from the Ten Thousand Alliance's experts and would be left to fend for itself.

The fate of those sects was often tragic.

Throughout the Southern Region, aside from the Ten Great Sects,

there were several hundred other sects and forces of all sizes.

And even to become the lowest-ranked, one-star sect, the most important requirement was having an Innate Realm expert to protect it!

By the same logic, to become a two-star sect, having a Foundation Establishment Venerable was one of the essential requirements.

Thus, most ordinary forces either gritted their teeth and went it alone,

or chose to submit to one of the Ten Great Sects and become an affiliated sect, paying tribute every year in exchange for protection.

For example, the Meng Family, where Meng Tangtang lived, was an affiliated sect under Jingyun Sect.

"The Supreme Elder's condition has been getting worse and worse. I'm afraid his time will come within a year or two."

"He probably won't last until the sect rankings are reevaluated in three years."

"Jingyun Sect has made too many enemies over the years. The moment we lose our one-star sect status, I'm afraid a pack of vicious wolves will trample us into the ground, whether they're human or alien."

Elder Hao's voice was low.

That was the real trouble. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so excited and lost his composure at the sight of a promising young talent with a chance of reaching the Innate Realm.

The truth was, they had no other path!

Jingyun Sect couldn't be without an Innate expert.

The Supreme Elder was failing, so they could only cultivate another Innate expert to protect the sect!

Meng Tangtang, with her Innate constitution, was the sect's last hope!