Ten Thousand Sword Domain
This is the headquarters of the Eternal Sword Pavilion, one of the nine supreme powers. The cultivators in the entire Ten Thousand Sword Domain mostly practice the Sword Dao, which has given rise to a rather unique Sword Dao civilization.
The continuous mountain range here undulates like a sword's spine, each peak resembling a giant sword piercing the earth, its summit pointing straight to the sky, perpetually shrouded in a chilling Sword Intent.
The river meanders through the valley, its surface dotted with tiny silver specks of light, and even the air is filled with a subtle, sharp intensity.
This day was a rather special day.
The Sacred Court and the Eternal Sword Pavilion have launched an exchange program, sending a group of promising Sword Dao talents to the Eternal Sword Pavilion for further training. This reflects the importance that both powers place on talent cultivation.
After all, although almost all the cultivators in the Eternal Sword Pavilion practice the Sword Dao, there are always some geniuses who are suitable for cultivating other paths. In addition, some Sword Dao geniuses will also be born in the Sacred Court's domains. In order not to waste these talents, they will choose to cultivate talents together.
The Sacred Court's flying boats weaved through layers of clouds.
The young cultivators on the flying boat were discussing excitedly.
Among this group of exchange students, the most outstanding was a descendant of the Saint King Lineage named Leng Qianqiu.
This man was handsome and had an extraordinary bearing; he was surrounded by people like a star being the moon.
Among this group of "exchange students," there were naturally good and bad ones, and the most direct way to distinguish their status was by their family background and academic performance.
Leng Qianqiu, for example, not only comes from the Aristocratic Clan Saint King, but also entered the top ten in the selection battle of the Sacred Court's Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet. Although she ultimately ranked sixteenth, it was enough to prove her talent.
The people surrounding him were all from prominent Lineage or were prodigies who had participated in the selection process.
Even if some people are only ranked in the dozens or hundreds, being able to enter the selection battle means that they have been seen by the big shots of the Sacred Court headquarters and have caught their eye. They are all extremely dazzling geniuses in their respective regions and states.
Leng Qianqiu was getting into the swing of things:
"I witnessed Young Venerable Han's brilliance at the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet firsthand. He defeated Sword Scion Chen Xin in that battle, leaving him utterly defeated. He was truly a peerless genius, and his subsequent victory was only natural. I wasn't surprised at all."
The surrounding people's eyes lit up immediately, and they all crowded around:
"Brother Leng, do you know Young Venerable Han?"
"Could you introduce me? My ancestor has been saying he wants to meet Young Venerable Han."
" Young Venerable Han is now the number one prodigy. Just being able to exchange a single word with him is something you can brag about for a lifetime."
Leng Qianqiu, flattered and somewhat elated, maintained her composure, waved her hand, and said without hesitation:
"One of my cousins is close to Young Venerable Han, and I have also spoken with Young Venerable. If there is an opportunity in the future, I can introduce you to him."
Then he felt like he was getting a little carried away, and added:
" Young Venerable Han is very busy and can't be seen whenever I want. But speaking of which, I did meet Young Venerable Han a few times during the selection process."
He's very approachable and friendly.
He said this with a smile on his face, but he knew in his heart that he wasn't even sure if Han Xuanji had remembered his name.
Ling Cang sat in a corner of the flying boat, listening quietly to the discussions.
He is the eldest son of the Ling Household, and his ancestors included figures of the Sacred Hall Elder level, making him a person of impeccable lineage in the Sacred Court.
But compared to this ship full of geniuses, his background and talent seemed insignificant.
After all, he wasn't even qualified to participate in the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet selection battle, so naturally he couldn't integrate into this circle.
The Ling Household was not even qualified to attend the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet.
The last time they met was when Han Xuanji had just returned from the Dragon Terrace Sacred Banquet, when the city was brightly decorated and the streets were deserted.
He stood in the crowd, looking at the figure in blue robes surrounded by countless people, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"This further study might allow me to get a little closer to him."
Ling Cang felt a mix of emotions, his mind drifting back to many years ago.
He had fought against Han Xuanji at the Thousand Souls City Principle Conference back then.
Although Han Xuanji was strong back then, he hadn't reached the level he has today. When he fought against his opponent, he was still able to display his talent and even impress his opponent.
Now, however, Han Xuanji is someone he needs to look up to.
Ling Cang pulled himself out of his thoughts and did not choose to approach Leng Qianqiu to start a conversation.
If he revealed that he knew Han Xuanji and had even fought with him, he might be able to establish a connection with him, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.
After all, his relationship with Han Xuanji wasn't exactly good; there had even been a misunderstanding back then.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up later, otherwise he wouldn't dare stand here today.
Ling Cang knew that his ability to go to the Eternal Sword Pavilion was not only due to his own talent, but also because his Lineage had made considerable sacrifices. Many of the favors left by his ancestors were becoming increasingly rare.
Not long after.
The airship gradually slowed down, and everyone disembarked one after another.
The moment they stepped onto the ground of the Eternal Sword Pavilion, almost everyone subconsciously took a deep breath.
Someone couldn't help but sigh:
"This is the headquarters of the Eternal Sword Pavilion? The mountains, rivers, and even the plants and trees are imbued with Sword Intent; it truly lives up to its reputation."
Ling Cang also looked up and surveyed his surroundings.
The Ten Thousand Swords Mountain Range stretch endlessly, each peak resembling a giant sword reaching for the sky, its sword light piercing the heavens and slicing the entire sky into countless fine, silvery-white patterns.
In the center, surrounded by mountains, a huge sword-shaped palace rises from the ground. The entire palace is made of some kind of silvery-white divine stone, with flowing patterns on its surface, which gleam in the sunlight.
That is the main hall of the Eternal Sword Pavilion, the core of the Sword Pavilion.
The platform where the flying boat landed was paved with pieces of divine jade, and seventy-two sword pillars stood on all four sides, with sword inscriptions from famous sword masters of the Sword Pavilion throughout the ages engraved on the pillars.
Just as everyone was marveling at the spectacle, someone suddenly noticed the grand display in front of the platform.
Beneath the seventy-two sword pillars, two rows of sword cultivators stood in neat rows, each exuding a sharp aura and with a solemn expression.
The platform was already crowded with people, and many disciples had also arrived outside. There were many law enforcement disciples from the Sword Pavilion maintaining order, and several elders dressed in blue sword robes were talking in hushed tones.
But what's most eye-catching is the tall figure directly in front of the platform.
The man was dressed in a black sword robe, with an extremely narrow longsword hanging at his waist. The scabbard was entirely black and had no decorations.
He stood there, his aura utterly serene, yet he possessed a sharp edge that made people afraid to look directly at him.
It was Chen Xin, the Sword Scion of the Eternal Sword Pavilion.
Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back, calmly gazing in the direction of the flying boat.
Leng Qianqiu was slightly taken aback, and then an overwhelming surge of excitement welled up in her heart.
Could this grand welcome ceremony be a special one prepared for them by the Eternal Sword Pavilion?
He straightened his clothes and whispered to the people beside him:
"It seems that Sword Pavilion attaches great importance to our exchange plan."
The people around them also straightened their backs, their faces showing flattery and surprise.
But Ling Cang noticed something was wrong.
His gaze passed over Chen Xin and landed on a place further behind the platform.
There seemed to be several figures with extremely profound auras waiting there, some of whom even felt like they were separated by a different realm.
He frowned, secretly thinking that their group of exchange students probably weren't significant enough to warrant such a large-scale deployment from the Eternal Sword Pavilion.
Who is Chen Xin?
The number one Sword Dao prodigy of the Eternal Continent, the Sword Scion of the Eternal Sword Pavilion.
There are only two possibilities for such a person to come and greet you personally.
Either the Sword Pavilion truly values this exchange program extremely, or they are actually welcoming someone else entirely.
A thought suddenly popped into Ling Cang's mind, making his heart skip a beat.
He subconsciously looked around, searching for something in the crowd.
He recognized everyone on the airship, but he didn't see that person.
He looked away, suppressing the wild thoughts in his mind.
Perhaps he was overthinking it.
The next second.
Before the noise on the platform had subsided, the sea of clouds in the distance suddenly began to surge.