Jiang Ding put away his many skyborne carriers and fighters, rested a hand on his sword hilt, and stood alone among the stars, gazing toward a distant river of stars. No one knew what he was thinking.
An unknown length of time passed.
Black mist gathered amid the stars, revealing the figure of a fat man dressed in black.
"Sword Heir."
Black cupped his hands slightly. "The Sword Pavilion's inheritance has gathered in you. No one else currently shares the authority of the Great Sun Sword Heir. Everything in the Sword Pavilion is yours."
At that moment, Jiang Ding sensed many invisible barriers appearing around him.
Some worked through karma, some through space, but most through the sword path. They kept powerful enemies from divining his whereabouts and gave him room to grow.
"Can you locate Ming Guangzi?" Jiang Ding asked.
Ming Guangzi held the last of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion's legacy.
It was wealth so immense it could drive any Immortal Order in the Nine Spirits Domain mad. Jiang Ding was only human, and he was no exception.
"No."
Black refused. "First, I will not take part in battles unless your opponent is beyond your level. Second, I cannot harm a Great Sun Sword Heir, even a former one. I cannot so much as touch anything connected to it."
"The Sword Lords of past generations placed strict restrictions on me. I cannot interfere in any such matter."
"Not unless I develop sentience and emotions."
"But that would be far too dangerous for the Sword Pavilion's inheritance."
"According to the estimates of the Great Sun Sword Lords of past generations, if the Sword Pavilion goes a hundred and fifty thousand years without a new Great Sun Sword Lord, I may break free of control and come to life, as