As Wang Hao finished speaking, the young men and women who had received the white pieces stood up nervously. However, when they saw that only nine people had stood up, they all felt relieved and their faces lit up with joy.
The others, who were still sitting cross-legged on the ground, cast envious, jealous, and hateful glances at Kuroko.
They were well aware that this was a selection process, and naturally, the fewer outstanding individuals there were, the fewer people were selected. Only nine of them received white pieces, a far smaller number compared to the ten thousand people still sitting cross-legged on the ground. Clearly, this group consisted of a much more outstanding group.
The nine chosen boys and girls excitedly stepped forward and lined up in front of Wang Hao and the others.
"These two are born with powerful seven souls, allowing them to join the Mount Heng Sword Sect and attempt to obtain the Sword Faction's inheritance. Her three souls are powerful, enabling her to attempt to obtain the inheritance of the Buddha Shengxiu..."
Wang Hao pointed to the nine young men and women in front of him and explained their special characteristics one by one, pointing out a direction for their future development. He stopped speaking after talking about eight of them.
Only one fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy remained unmentioned, and this boy was the most unique among the nine.
Everyone present was a descendant of the Old Zhu Household, so their living conditions were naturally quite good. In addition, most of them were teenagers, with fair and delicate skin. However, this boy's skin was rough and dark, and his palms had thick calluses.
Judging from the shape of the hand bones and the location of the calluses, the person likely practices swordsmanship frequently, and it seems to lean towards external swordsmanship techniques used in battlefield martial arts.
What's most striking is that this person's expression is incredibly calm, lacking the excitement and agitation of others, as if he doesn't care at all about this opportunity for selection, and even his eyes are kept closed the whole time.
In his arms lay a worn-out, ordinary single-edged sword, an iron sword that could be forged for a dozen taels of silver, its material not even qualifying as Hundred-Forged Refined Steel.
"So what kind of special constitution does this little guy have?"
All eyes turned to the young man, Wheel-Turning King asked him with great interest.
"He doesn't have any special physique, but among these nine, I have the highest hopes for him. Given enough opportunities, he has the best chance of reaching the Shattering Realm!"
Wang Hao shook his head slightly, looking at the young man with similar interest, which piqued the curiosity of Zhu Yuanzhang and the others.
"I can sense that his heart is filled with deathly stillness and hatred, like a stagnant pool, yet within it seems to conceal an unparalleled sharpness; he must have cultivated the Saber Intent!"
After carefully examining the young man, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly spoke, his expression becoming more serious, clearly understanding why Wang Hao had such high regard for this young man.
To be honest, this young man was just a pure external martial arts practitioner, with no internal energy in his body and his cultivation level was only at the Peak Second-rate. But what was amazing was that he had actually comprehended the Saber Intent.
This qualification is truly terrifying!
"Investigate! I need all information about him—I mean all!"
Emperor Mingde's expression turned very ugly. The other party, as a member of the Old Zhu Household, was filled with hatred and despair. It was clear that he was involved with some members of Old Zhu Household Old Zhu Household, and might even turn against them.
If the other party were just an ordinary person, it would be fine; they could simply be killed. But this kid was actually evaluated by that cheap imperial nephew as the most likely to become Shattering Realm expert, which is quite terrifying.
We must never give up on such talented people. No matter who they are, we must resolve the enmity with them at all costs.
"Uncle, there's no need for you to interfere. This hatred has both made him who he is and made him a knot in his heart. The best option is for him to resolve it personally."
Wang Hao shook his head slightly and secretly transmitted his voice to Emperor Mingde and the others.
Emperor Mingde and the others nodded thoughtfully, while Wheel-Turning King paused for a moment before asking, "Then how should we train him?"
"Once the Sword Immortal arrives in the Central Plains, you can try sending him there for a while. As for how much he gains, that depends on his Creation. Oh, and Ruoxue, you should arrange for her to stay with the Sword God. Just tell them it's to repay a favor to me."
Wang Hao pulled Zhu Ruoxue, who had been silently following behind him, to his side, squatted down, gently pinched the little girl's delicate nose, and said with a smile, "Ruoxue, your godfather will be away for a while. You'll stay with this older sister. Be good, okay?"
As he spoke, Wang Hao pointed to Zhu Yunlu, who was standing to the side.
He didn't know many people in the Old Zhu Household. He wouldn't dare entrust his affairs to cunning old foxes like Emperor Mingde or Wheel-Turning King, otherwise, he didn't know what kind of brainwashing Ruoxue would undergo.
Among his peers, he only knew the siblings Zhu Yunlu and Zhu Yijun Zhu Yijun. Zhu Yijun was actually quite decent, but this guy was a beast who could lay a hand on a twelve-year-old Loli, so he was extremely worried about letting Ruoxue go with him.
Having no other choice, I had to ask Zhu Yunlu for help.
Although this girl is quite shrewd, she's not a bad person at heart.
Zhu Yuanzhang and the others smiled helplessly at this. With their experience, how could they not see the deeper meaning behind Wang Hao's actions? However, they did not say anything more about it.
After all, this kid had no family ties with them before. In their view, if this kid wanted to use their power to quickly become stronger and break free from the control of the Great Heavenly Demon Seed, he probably wouldn't have come back to negotiate with them, let alone help them.
Therefore, they can understand the person's wariness and won't pay much attention to it.
"Kindness!"
Zhu Ruoxue nodded reluctantly.
She wasn't unreasonable; she knew her godfather had something important to do, and that staying by his side would only be a burden, so she obediently stayed.
However, her fair little hands were clenched tightly, and she secretly vowed to become stronger as soon as possible so that she could help her godfather.
"Good boy!"
With a satisfied sigh, Wang Hao gently stroked the little girl's soft, long hair, stood up, nodded to Zhu Yunlu who was walking over, and said, "I'll leave Ruoxue in your care!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will treat Ruoxue as my own daughter!"
With her hand on Ruoxue's shoulder, Zhu Yunlu smiled and nodded, a blush creeping onto her pretty face.
Wang Hao didn't think much of what was said, but Zhu Yuanzhang and the others beside him had a strange expression on their faces, staring at the blush on Zhu Yunlu's pretty face, looking thoughtful.
"Ancestor, Yanzu won't be staying any longer!"
Not noticing anything amiss, Wang Hao bowed to Comrade Old Zhu as a farewell.
Be careful on your journey!
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say much, only offering a concerned word of advice.
"Imperial Uncle, Imperial Grand Uncle, farewell!"
After nodding to Emperor Mingde and Wheel-Turning King, Wang Hao didn't pause for a moment and immediately used his lightness skill to leave.
"Ancestor, this lad is in such a hurry; he's probably encountered some serious trouble!"
Watching Wang Hao's figure disappear quickly into the distance, Wheel-Turning King pondered, thinking that Wang Hao must have encountered some serious trouble, otherwise he wouldn't be in such a hurry.
"So what if he's in trouble? Do you think we have the power to help him?"
He rolled his eyes in annoyance. Zhu Yuanzhang could see that perfectly well, but he really couldn't help with that.
He might be considered one of the top experts in the Central Plains martial arts world, but in the overseas martial arts world, where the Celestial Person Realm is everywhere and even Shattering Realm experts are common, he would just be a nobody.
Not to mention that his lifespan is already very short, and he would probably perish in a fierce battle.
He is now the last pillar of Sea God for the Old Zhu Household. If he were to perish abroad, the entire situation in the country would likely collapse immediately, leading to a change of dynasty.
Therefore, he couldn't act rashly. Besides, since that kid hadn't asked for help, he must be confident in handling this trouble on his own, so there was no need for them to intervene.
"These children will be taught by you, and those fifty Innate experts will also be under your management. You must nurture them into talents. Also, spread the name of the Great Ming Imperial Martial Arts Academy as soon as possible, to avoid those forces constantly becoming suspicious."
Zhu Yuanzhang decisively ordered Wheel-Turning King to entrust the education of the tens of thousands of descendants of the Old Zhu Household selected by Wang Hao, and even left behind fifty Innate experts to assist him.
The reason they brought so many Innate experts with them this time was also for this purpose: on the one hand, to teach the selected juniors, and on the other hand, to protect their safety.
After all, the commotion they've caused this time is quite significant, attracting the attention of many powerful forces, including the eight major branches of Confucian School, who will surely send experts to investigate.
Faced with these experts operating covertly, the Imperial Guards trained by the royal estate alone might not be able to stop them; that's when a martial arts master of equal skill would be needed.
Fortunately, thanks to the secret technique contributed by that cheap grandson, he was able to create quite a few Innate powerhouses, which was enough to handle this matter.
Moreover, he would secretly oversee the situation, partly to guard against the eight old Confucian School scholars coming in person, and partly to personally teach the nine specially selected children.
"Yes, your grandson will do everything in his power to educate them to become successful!"
Wheel-Turning King knelt on one knee, respectfully and solemnly accepting the order.
He also knew that these younger generations were of great importance, representing the future of the Old Zhu Household, and that they must be educated and nurtured to success at all costs.
"By the way, ideological education cannot be neglected either. I do not wish for any unfilial individuals or vicious fratricidal people to emerge."
Nodding, Zhu Yuanzhang spoke again, his voice trembling with deep emotion, offering his earnest instructions.
He had experienced too much in this regard. Not to mention, he had witnessed the entire struggle between his son Zhu Di and his grandson for the throne, but he was powerless to do anything about it.
One is his grandson, the other is his son; they are both his flesh and blood. How could he possibly choose?
In the end, he could only announce his seclusion, hoping to avoid seeing the situation altogether, but he was still deeply pained and saddened.
The direction these people are currently training is to cultivate martial arts experts. This is different from the power struggles and conflicts that occur in the political arena, and it is not a contest for the throne. As long as there is a healthy competitive environment, there is no need for any conspiracies or schemes.
Otherwise, it would be a real disaster if we raised an ungrateful child.
" Mingde, the supply of all materials here must not be interrupted, and the expansion of the Brocade Guard must be expedited. Also, go and issue an imperial edict to announce to the world that Yanzu is hereby granted the title of Yanzu of Carefree King. Finally, go and tell that brat Chu Xianhe that if he cannot break through to the Innate within six months, let him find a place to bury himself!"
In the end, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a disappointed expression.
"Yes, Ancestor!"
Emperor Mingde accepted this arduous task with a pained expression.
Supplying resources to the Imperial Estate is not difficult, since these juniors are cultivating the external skills of the Ten Strong Martial Arts Foundation Building series, and their main consumption is medicinal food and meat, which is not difficult to supply.
It wouldn't be difficult to bestow the title of "Carefree King" upon that cheap imperial nephew, after all, he has made considerable contributions to the Old Zhu Household, so giving him a title is only right.
This was a family matter for the Old Zhu Household, and even the court officials had no say in it; they could simply issue an imperial edict to announce it to the world.
The real difficulty lies with his father-in-law, Elder Chu, also known as Chu Xianhe, whom the ancestor just mentioned. It's a real pitfall for a junior like him to handle his affairs.
However, this matter does indeed need to be handled, as the Old Zhu Household is currently in dire need of manpower. Although the ancestor's secret method can create a large number of the Innate Realm experts, it can only create those at the Early Innate level, and there is no possibility of them advancing any further.
Compared to those who force growth, those who break through on their own, like the Wheel-Turning King, are far stronger. Given time, they might even grow to the level of an ancestor.
His father-in-law's aptitude was far superior to that of the Wheel-Turning King back then, and once he broke through to the Innate Realm, his future achievements would undoubtedly be even greater.
Furthermore, with the current turmoil in the world and the appearance of overseas martial arts circles and the Heavenly Demon Sacred Cult Sect, the Confucian School is too busy to care about its own affairs, let alone its father-in-law. Therefore, this is the best opportunity to break free and achieve a breakthrough!