"As expected of you!"
At the top of a main hall of the Mount Song Sword Sect, a fiery red figure stood proudly. Hearing the shouts of "No beggar under heaven" from below, a captivating smile appeared on her lips. She then turned her gaze to the mountain path below, her phoenix eyes revealing a fierce fighting spirit.
Now that she has mastered her divine skills, it's time for the whole world to know her name!
Under everyone's gaze, a figure wearing a light veil and a bamboo hat slowly walked from the mountain gate. The steps seemed slow, but each step covered more than ten feet. It was as if it was traversing space and kept flashing. In just a moment, it arrived at the training ground of the Mount Song Sword Sect from the mountain gate at the foot of the mountain along the mountain path and stood in front of Xie Feng.
That's right, this person is none other than Ximen Chui, who is as cold as ice and as frigid as snow, and is known as the Sword God... cough cough, it's Wang Hao!
Through the veil of his bamboo hat, Wang Hao sized up the eight Confucian-robed elders standing on the high platform in front of him. From their attire and the aura of their cultivation techniques, he immediately recognized them as the eight old monsters from the Confucian School school.
One of them even attacked him on the Dai Summit Mount Tai, and he was the only Peak Xiantian Grandmaster unscathed. As for the others, he and Fairy Yushu killed them all.
The appearance of these eight old monsters made him tense. After all, they were too strong. If he were to face one of them and unleash his full power, he was confident he could save his life.
But facing eight people at once was a real problem. Even after he had Xiao Mengmeng use the Treasure-Seeking Function at the foot of the mountain to confirm that the eight old monsters were there, he hesitated about whether to come up.
Fortunately, besides the eight old monsters from the Confucian School, the Mount Song Sword Sect also has many Innate experts, including eleven Peak Xiantian Grandmaster.
These must be the Innate powerhouses who were once driven out of the Central Plains by the Confucian School. The two sides are inherently enemies, and with these people standing by, the eight old monsters of the Confucian School certainly wouldn't dare to make a move casually.
However, when Wang Hao saw the ancient swords held by the eight Confucian School patriarchs, he finally understood the source of their confidence.
These eight ancient swords were the ones wielded by Li Haoran and his companions. Although Li Haoran and his fellows inherited these eight ancient swords, they found it difficult to unleash their full power. Only in the hands of these eight old monsters could their full potential be revealed.
With those eight ancient swords in hand, the combat power of the eight Confucian School ancestors would at least double. Coupled with the Eight Extremes Sword Formation possessed by the Confucian School, they would be able to suppress the surrounding Innate experts.
Otherwise, why would those Innate experts who were forced out of the Central Plains have remained in hiding?
Even their joint return to the Central Plains this time had to be done secretly, without daring to show themselves.
However, this also benefited Wang Hao. Both sides were wary and wouldn't act easily, so he could confidently show off and deceive others.
"What a fine sword! What a pity!"
Wang Hao's gaze swept over the eight ancient swords one by one. He first gave a heartfelt exclamation, then shook his head slightly with regret.
Hearing Wang Hao's praise, the eight Confucian School patriarchs were secretly pleased, after all, these eight ancient swords were the strongest foundation of their Confucian School, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were the best in the world.
But when the eight men heard the second half of the sentence, their expressions froze. One of them, a hot-tempered Confucian School elder, angrily shouted, "Boy, explain yourself clearly! How could my sword be a pity?"
Everyone else turned their attention to him, waiting for Wang Hao's explanation.
Wang Hao was not intimidated by this. Instead of immediately answering the question from the Confucian School patriarch, he explained, "A complete life form is composed of essence, energy, and spirit, which are also the three foundations of divine weapons."
"Jing" represents the material and forging techniques of the weapon itself, "Qi" represents the power of heaven and earth that the divine weapon is cultivated by nature, Innate or Acquired, and "Shen" represents the Divine Charm that the weapon itself possesses.
By combining essence, energy, and spirit, and imbuing the weapon with the true spirit of the wielder's martial arts heart, a divine weapon can be created.
The materials of the swords in your hands are passable, and they have been nurtured for thousands of years and have developed Divine Charm. But unfortunately, you are not pure swordsmen who are sincere in the way of the Sword Dao, nor have you cultivated a Sword Heart. You cannot make the sword body nurture the power of heaven and earth, nor can you use your Sword Heart to give the sword a true spirit.
Therefore, the swords in your hands remain mere mortal weapons, unable to take the final step to become divine weapons.
In the end, Wang Hao shook his head, seemingly regretting that the eight ancient swords were stuck at the last step, or perhaps expressing his dissatisfaction with the Confucian School's lack of ambition.
This left the eight patriarchs of Confucian School looking at each other, completely bewildered.
This was the first time they had heard such a theory, but it sounded quite sophisticated!
This left the eight people somewhat at a loss for words. However, the Confucian School patriarch who had questioned them earlier was still unconvinced and said unhappily, "Hmph! Does a coward like him have the right to judge me?"
"Oh! That's it! It's drizzling today! Wearing a straw hat will prevent your clothes from getting wet!"
Wang Hao seemed to only then realize what was happening, raising his hand to remove the light veil and bamboo hat from his head, revealing his true face.
Clang!
With a clanging sound, the weapons held by the many martial arts practitioners around, who had poor mental fortitude, suddenly fell to the ground. Everyone stared in disbelief at Wang Hao in the center, especially at his shiny bald head.
A red-clad figure standing in the distance on a grand hall of the Mount Song Sword Sect stumbled, nearly tumbling off the roof. She barely managed to regain her balance and quickly turned her head away, afraid to look at the horrifying scene and lest she collapse.
Some of the Grandmaster at Shaomu Temple even subconsciously touched the top of their heads, feeling that their heads weren't as shiny as the other's.
It's obvious that the other person has genuine hair loss and baldness, a completely natural condition.
Only this purely natural state can act on the hair roots, causing them to lose their ability to regenerate, thereby allowing the pores on the top of the head to close to the maximum extent, presenting that reflective state.
These monks, however, only shaved their heads and shaved their heads every morning, so their shine was naturally not as good as the other monks'.
The contrast with the other party was just too stark. When they came earlier, they had spoken in a high-class manner, describing themselves as "cold as ice and as cold as snow," and their name also had a rather sophisticated feel to it.
Listen to that, Ximen Chuixue, what a poetic and picturesque name!
Moreover, those overseas martial arts figures who had previously roamed the Central Plains martial arts world were all exceptionally handsome, and even Zhu Yanzu, who came from the Old Zhu Household, was a rare and handsome man.
But what on earth is this balding, greasy middle-aged man in front of me?
This is simply a turbid current in the overseas martial arts beauty group!
No, that was practically a mudslide!
The difference is just too big!
"Grandpa, I really want to..."
A girl standing next to Wheel-Turning King looked at Wang Hao, that greasy old man, and her fair and perfect face twitched and twisted repeatedly. Finally, she looked to her grandfather, Wheel-Turning King, for help.
Her grandfather had previously instructed her to get close to Ximen Chuixue at all costs, and ideally become his woman.
She had previously obtained portraits of the Peerless Sword Saint, the Wuming Sword Faction, and Ye Gucheng, the city lord of White Cloud City, all of whom were exceptionally handsome men.
In her view, Ximen Chuixue, who was also one of the Tribulation Lords of the Ten Directions of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Cult, must also be a rare and handsome man.
Especially since the other party's name was so poetic and picturesque, coupled with his own strength and the support of the overseas martial arts world and the Heavenly Demon Sacred Cult, even the Da Ming royal family had to go to great lengths to curry favor with him.
Faced with such a perfect Prince Charming, how could she not be willing?
On her way here, she had imagined what her ideal husband would be like, but when she saw his true face, all her fantasies and expectations were shattered into dust, and she felt her whole life turn gray.
"Ahem... Yu'er, I'm entrusting everything to you!"
Wheel-Turning King face was also twitching, coughed and said something with great kindness and hope, then turned his head away, not daring to look into his beloved granddaughter's eyes.
He never expected it to turn out this way. He thought he could find a good husband for his beloved granddaughter and at the same time gain a powerful backer for the Old Zhu Household, but who would have thought it would turn out like this.
The latter goal can indeed be achieved, but the former is a bit...
Looking at the figure in front of him with its shiny bald head and flowing long hair, the extreme and distorted contrast left Wheel-Turning King speechless.
You, a dignified Sword God, have gone bald? Does that do justice to your poetic name?
"Royal Sister!"
Zhu Yu'er looked to Zhu Yunlu for help, hoping her cousin would put in a good word for her.
Faced with her cousin's pleading gaze, Zhu Yunlu suppressed her unease and gently advised, "Sister Yu'er, men are actually different from us women. We women tend to judge men by their appearance, but men value talent and ability more."
As the old saying goes, a perfect match is a handsome man and a beautiful woman. Sister Yu'er possesses unparalleled beauty, the most beautiful woman in our royal family today, while Mr. Ximen is renowned as the Sword God, possessing formidable strength. They are truly a match made in heaven...
While offering words of comfort, Zhu Yunlu secretly rejoiced.
Fortunately, her crush, Zhu Yanzu, was a heartthrob; otherwise, if it had been that balding, greasy old man across from her, she would have gouged her eyes out.
The shadow of despair slowly spread in Zhu Yu'er's heart, and she felt the deep malice emanating from the entire world.
Not to mention Wheel-Turning King and the others, even the eight Confucian School patriarchs who had lived for over two hundred years were so shocked by the huge contrast that their hearts almost stopped, and their ancient swords nearly fell to the ground.
After a long while, one of the leading Confucian School patriarchs tentatively inquired, "Are you truly Ximen Chuixue, the Divine Lord Sword God and one of the Tribulation Lords of the Ten Directions the Heavenly Demon Sacred Cult Holy Sect?"
These words awakened the still-shocked crowd, especially Zhu Yu'er, whose eyes shone brightly with hope as she looked ahead at the balding, greasy middle-aged man.
"Genuine, guaranteed!"
Wang Hao casually reached up and smoothed one side of his hair, barely concealing his shiny bald head, then tossed his head with a flourish, acknowledging his identity Ximen Chuixue.
But this action caused many martial arts practitioners to clutch their chests and take a step back in unison. Zhu Yu'er was once again plunged into the abyss of despair, and her entire being lost its luster.
"But why is your appearance so different from that of the Peerless Sword Saint, the Wuming Sword Faction master, and the Sword Immortal Ye Gucheng?"
One of the more straightforward Confucian School elders couldn't help but ask a question that voiced the thoughts of everyone present.
"Hmph! Must martial arts masters be handsome? Can't Sword God be bald? These are all prejudices and misunderstandings you Central Plains people hold about the strong!"
With a cold snort, Wang Hao indicated his anger, and coldly explained himself, not speaking on behalf of all the unattractive masters in the world.
This time he was truly furious. Although he knew that the disguise he created wasn't very appealing, it was still too much to say it so openly.
Don't I, Ximen Chuixue, have any pride?
"..."
Faced with Wang Hao's explanation, everyone present was speechless. Upon closer listening, it actually made a lot of sense... what a load of rubbish!
Of course, not everyone disagreed with this explanation. Among the many martial arts practitioners, some less handsome masters looked at Wang Hao with great interest and excitement, as if they had met a kindred spirit and regretted not having met sooner!
This Sword God has truly spoken their minds. Just because they aren't good-looking enough, how many Byakugan and hardships have they endured over the years in the martial world? Who can understand the grievances in their hearts?
But looks are given to us by our parents; what can they do about it?
They were desperate too, okay?
Previously, they could only keep their frustrations to themselves, but now that they have the Sword God Ximen Chuixue as their spokesperson, they feel that their whole being has been elevated.
At that moment, these people secretly made up their minds to become fans from this point on; they became die-hard fans of the Sword God Ximen Chuixue!