Naming the saber

The lotus seeds were embedded in the blade, as if glued to it, thus eliminating the need for the jade box. Xu Qi'an chuckled, "I'm such a clever little devil."

Time ticked by, and Xu Qi'an sat at the table, watching intently, trying to prevent the lotus seeds from falling onto the surface. If the lotus seeds were to magically transform the table, the joke would be far too serious.

From now on, the mare won't need to be ridden; she can travel by sitting on a table, and those four tables will nimbly traverse mountains and valleys!

He rested his elbows on the table, propped his chin on his hand, lost in thought. Inspired by the effects of lotus seeds, his mind began to wander, and he came up with some funny jokes.

If you use lotus seeds to enlighten your right hand, it will say, "You still need me to show off." The underwear will say, "Where do you put me?"

The cigarette said: You two shut up and suck me.

The scabbard said, "You try stabbing me again, you son of a bitch!"

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an burst into laughter.

"Sigh! I can only amuse myself; I can't share it with others."

He slowly suppressed his smile, resting his chin on one hand while idly tapping the table with the fingers of his other hand, feeling as if he were in a state of "having made an appointment but not arriving until past midnight, idly tapping chess pieces as the lamplight flickers."

The full moon hangs high, its cool light blocked outside by the gauze window, while the chirping of insects rises and falls, highlighting the tranquility of the night.

On a wooden shelf by the window sat an incense burner shaped like an animal head, burning mosquito-repelling incense. There were many mosquitoes in the mountains; without burning mosquito-repelling incense at night, it was impossible to sleep.

Of course, martial artists of the sixth rank and above need not worry about mosquito bites.

Before I knew it, three hours had passed, the moonlight had disappeared, and the sky outside the window was a deep blue.

During this process, Xu Qi'an watched the lotus seeds wither little by little, and watched the black-gold longsword slowly transform. It did not become sharp, but it no longer felt like an inanimate object; it seemed to have come alive.

The tender white lotus seeds shriveled completely and fell to the ground.

"Buzz!"

The black and gold longsword trembled and flew up on its own, circling around Xu Qi'an.

It seemed very close to Xu Qi'an, like a cub is close to its parents.

What a wonderful feeling. Although it is still a knife, it feels alive to me, like a child, or a pet. Xu Qi'an's lips unconsciously curled up.

Watching the black and gold longsword dart and dance around the room, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but think of the husky he had raised in his previous life. It was just as lively and would keep nudging him with its head when it was happy.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, he saw the black and gold longsword move gracefully, its tip aimed at him, and then it shot towards him with a whoosh.

"No, no, no! You'll die!" Xu Qi'an's expression changed drastically.

Bite!

There was no time to dodge, so he could only activate his Vajra Divine Skill. He was struck in the chest by a stinging sound, like being stabbed hard with a needle, which was extremely painful.

The power of the black-gold longsword has increased dramatically! I've tried cutting myself with it before, and it didn't hurt at all. Xu Qi'an turned around with a dark face, silently enduring the loving "protection" of the sword.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The black and gold longsword, like a frolicking husky, kept bumping its "head" against Xu Qi'an's back to show affection.

If I hadn't mastered the Vajra Divine Skill, I might have become the first master whose sword I loved to death. Luckily, I have this protective divine skill. Well, that's part of my destiny.

After a long while, the black and gold longsword, having had its fill of intimacy, gently landed on the table.

Xu Qi'an grabbed the hilt of the knife, held it horizontally in front of him, stared at the blade, and whispered, "Next, I will bestow a name upon you."

According to Zhong Li, bestowing a name is a very important part of the recognition process. Once a peerless divine weapon with a spirit has a name, it will not be changed.

Whoever names it becomes its owner.

The sword that protects the nation is named "Zhenguo" (镇国), a name bestowed by the founding emperor.

Therefore, the significance of the National Guardian Sword is to suppress the nation's destiny. That's why Xu Qi'an can use it.

Naming a legendary weapon has unimaginable significance; it's tantamount to defining its existence.

For the owner, this is also an opportunity to examine their conscience and make a grand vow.

What name should I choose? Xu Qi'an pondered for a long time. For some reason, he suddenly felt a surge of passion, as if the Unseen were communicating with the heavens and earth.

He had a premonition that a crucial decision in his life was about to unfold.

He inexplicably felt that the room was too small and the ceiling too low, unable to contain his passionate spirit.

Bang!

He pushed open the door, left the courtyard, and walked all the way to the top of a cliff.

The sky was a deep blue, and the mountain wind howled, blowing his long hair and the hem of his clothes, making him seem to float away at any moment.

"I am a visitor from another world. In this world, I neither respect gods nor worship Buddhas, nor do I worship kings or heaven and earth. I have only one wish: that there be fewer injustices in the world, that the common people can live more like human beings, not like livestock, and that the massacre of Chuzhou will not happen again."

"I'll call you 'Peace.' Follow me, and we'll eradicate all injustice, bringing peace to all people! We'll bring peace to all generations!"

He raised his long sword high, feeling as clear as crystal, his mind crystal clear.

Click!

The jade pendant, a magical Law Artifact given by the supervisor to shield one's fortune, has developed a crack.

At that moment, the Taiping Blade sensed something and unleashed a soaring blade intent that pierced the clouds atop Quanrong Mountain.

At that moment, a strange phenomenon occurred at Quanrong Mountain. A strong wind blew, scattering the clouds and mist that never dissipated throughout the year, stirring up countless withered branches and green leaves. The forest swayed, and from a distance, it seemed as if the entire mountain was shaking.

Such a commotion alerted the martial arts alliance headquarters of Quanrong Mountain, including the sect leaders and gang leaders such as Yang Cuixue and Xiao Yuenu who were resting on the mountain.

"What happened?"

"Enemy attack! Is there an enemy attack? Wake everyone up!"

"Such a terrifying phenomenon, who could be the one causing this? Could it be a third-rank deity?"

"Could this be retaliation from the leader of the Earth Sect?"

One after another, the masters rushed out of the room, not even having time to light the candles.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The melodious yet dense tolling of bells echoed between heaven and earth, reverberating in every corner of Quanrong Mountain.

This is the highest level of alert, telling the people in the mountains to be on guard against enemy attacks.

The martial arts masters rushed out of the room and into the open space, where they witnessed a terrifying phenomenon: the world seemed to be filled only with a raging wind, with gusts of air rising upwards and swirling up pebbles, green leaves, withered branches, and so on.

Such terrifying celestial phenomena far exceeded the limits of mortal beings.

Xiao Yuenu was wearing a pink robe that covered her curvaceous figure. Underneath, she wore a white undergarment. The incident happened so suddenly that she didn't have time to put on an elaborate dress.

Jewelry was also excluded; only a pale yellow ribbon was used to tie up her black hair.

She gracefully leaped onto the roof, looked around, and saw several familiar faces, including Yang Cuixue.

"What's going on?" Xiao Yuenu's voice was cold as she gripped the silver folding fan in her hand.

"Either our ancestor has broken through the barrier, or it's an enemy attack," Fu Jingmen said in a deep voice. "I just came out too."

The sect leaders and gang chiefs all wore serious expressions, ready for battle.

"Is he the leader of the Earth Sect?" Xiao Yuenu raised an eyebrow and made her judgment.

She instinctively tightened her grip on the fan.

Fu Jingmen and the others' expressions darkened simultaneously. If it was the Earth Sect that attacked, it must be for the Yue Clan Manor. But they soon discovered that the Yue Clan Manor was deserted, and in their anger, they came to retaliate against the Martial Alliance.

Although the Martial Alliance is a behemoth in the martial arts world, it is still far inferior to the three major sects of Daoist School, unless the patriarch personally takes action.

Even so, a battle between top-tier experts is still a major disaster for Quanrong Mountain.

At this moment, Yang Cuixue said, "Alliance Leader!"

Following his gaze, Cao Qingyang, dressed in purple, leaped out from the main courtyard, making a few leaps on the rooftops before stopping in front of everyone.

"Has the old alliance leader broken through the barrier?"

"Was it an enemy attack, Alliance Leader Cao?"

The sect leaders and gang leaders all stepped forward to inquire.

Cao Qingyang's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "It's not the Ancestor."

The group exchanged bewildered glances, no longer clinging to any hope.

Cao Qingyang didn't say anything more, quickly located the source of the storm, and took the lead in riding the wind away.

Yang Cuixue and the others followed.

Soon, they left the complex and circled around to the left side of the main peak, where there was a cliff.

On the cliff, a tall and upright young man stood proudly, holding a long sword in his hand. The sword's energy pierced through the clouds, majestic like the power of heaven, with streams of air swirling around it.

"Xu Yinluo?!"

A gasp of astonishment rang out as the members of the Martial Arts Alliance stared at the scene with bewilderment and shock.

Such a commotion was caused by Xu Yinluo?

Cao Qingyang's gaze was fixed on the dark gold longsword in his hand.

"Gurgle."

Someone swallowed hard, staring longingly at the longsword, their eyes gleaming with envy.

Anyone can see that this is an unparalleled divine weapon; people in the martial arts world are most powerless against divine weapons.

More and more people gathered, witnessing the scene of the young man standing proudly at the summit, his arms reaching out to pierce the clouds.

"Not an enemy attack?"

"What is Xu Yinluo doing?"

There was much discussion among the crowd, but no one could give them an answer.

But from today onwards, a new rumor will circulate in the martial arts world: In the midsummer of the 37th year of Yuanjing, Xu Qi'an had an epiphany at Quanrong Mountain, and a strange phenomenon occurred in the heavens.

After a long while, the sword energy subsided and the gale calmed down. Just then, the first rays of dawn shone on Xu Qi'an, illuminating his handsome profile.

Countless women were instantly captivated.

Xu Qi'an sheathed his sword, exhaled silently, and suddenly felt a sense of fulfillment, as if he had grasped his mission. He felt completely at ease.

He glanced at Cao Qingyang, Yang Cuixue, and the martial arts alliance members watching from a distance, and said loudly, "I have gained some insight. I apologize for disturbing everyone."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a slightly hurried call came from the back of the mountain, "Come here, come here!"

Xu Qi'an and Cao Qingyang exchanged a glance, recognizing it as the voice of the old leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.

The others heard it too.

"What's that sound? Who is it?" Fu Jingmen looked around and shouted.

"Sect Leader Fu, you mustn't be rude," Cao Qingyang reprimanded. "That's our ancestor."

Upon hearing this, the members of the Martial Arts Alliance were in an uproar and began to discuss it excitedly.

"Ancestor, is that the voice of the Ancestor?"

"My father always said that our ancestors lived in the back mountain when I was little, but I've never heard their voice since I was born."

"Our ancestors have blessed the martial arts alliance for generations to come."

The Martial Alliance has always claimed that its founding ancestor is still alive, but no one in the martial arts world has ever seen this figure who is the same age as the nation. Even the members of the Martial Alliance have been told by their elders since childhood that the back mountain is a forbidden area, the place where the ancestor cultivated in seclusion.

The story was passed down from generation to generation, yet no one ever actually met the other, or even heard their voices.

"The Ancestor is calling for Alliance Leader Cao! Alliance Leader Cao, please go quickly, don't keep the Ancestor waiting."

Seeing Cao Qingyang standing still, the crowd urged him anxiously:

"Alliance Leader Cao? The Ancestor is calling you."

"Alliance Leader Cao, go quickly!"

Those two cries of "Come here!" were undoubtedly a call for Alliance Leader Cao. Within the Martial Alliance, on Quanrong Mountain, only Cao Qingyang was qualified to meet the Ancestor.

Because he is the leader of the alliance, the person in charge of this generation.

Cao Qingyang remained still and nodded to Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an immediately headed towards the back mountain. Compared to before, he was no longer afraid of the secret of his destiny being exposed, simply because at this moment his heart was filled with joy and he felt carefree and magnanimous.

A series of gazes, somewhat dazed, stared at Xu Qi'an's retreating figure.

Wasn't the old ancestor calling for Alliance Leader Cao?

After centuries of silence, the ancestor spoke for the first time in front of everyone, and the name he called was Xu Yinluo?

Standing before the stone gate, Xu Qi'an, carrying his sword, respectfully asked, "Senior, what business do you have with me?"

Who are you? Why do you possess such a powerful aura?

The aged voice asked, getting straight to the point without any beating around the bush, displaying a strong martial arts style.

Just like his conversation with Xu Qi'an last night, he spoke frankly and directly about the secrets of destiny and historical events, never keeping anyone in suspense.

I still prefer hanging out with martial arts masters. Those like Jian Zheng, Jin Lian, and Wei Yuan —their hearts are all filthy; I'm ashamed to be associated with them. Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "..."

"I am just an Great Feng commoner of the Great Feng Dynasty, but I do possess a destiny, or more precisely, the destiny of the nation."

There was no reply from inside the stone gate; it seemed they were waiting for him to continue.

"Twenty years ago, during the Battle of Shanhai Pass, a mysterious Warlock, together with the leader of the Gu Clan's Heavenly Gu Tribe, stole half of the Great Feng's national destiny. That national destiny ultimately fell into my hands."

"But I don't know why I was chosen."

Xu Qi'an briefly recounted the matter of fate and his own experiences.

Strangely, when facing Wei Yuan and Jinlian, he never mentioned luck, even though Daoist Jinlian had some understanding of it.

But he had no intention of hiding anything from this old scoundrel.

There are probably two reasons for this: First, the other party is a straightforward martial artist who speaks his mind, unlike Jinlian Wei Yuan, who are too calculating. Being with them makes one think too much and have too many concerns.

Secondly, the warrior inside is the same age as the country and is very knowledgeable. He couldn't have missed what just happened. His urgent summons must have revealed something.

Therefore, Xu Qi'an might as well be more generous and tell the secret.

"No wonder the Great Feng Kingdom has weakened so rapidly over the past twenty years. It's partly due to the emperor's cultivation of Daoism, and partly because its fortune was stolen," the old man said with sudden realization.

What happened to you just now?

Xu Qi'an then told the old man about how the lotus seed had transformed the sword, helping it to become a peerless divine weapon.

"What's the name of the sword?"

"Taiping" means peace and tranquility throughout the land.

The old man smiled, his voice revealing understanding. "The third rank in Confucian School is called ' Establishing Destiny.' When one is promoted, extraordinary phenomena occur. That's because a great Confucian School scholar carries the destiny of humanity."

"Although you are not Confucian School, your essence is the same. That's why the strange phenomenon just now occurred. Here's a piece of advice for you: remember the thoughts you have today. If you fall into the demonic path in the future, you will die from the backlash of your fate."

"I understand." Xu Qi'an nodded, not forgetting to ask for clarification:

"Senior, what are your thoughts on my situation?"

"My opinion? Hmm, you shouldn't join the Martial Arts Alliance anymore, I don't want you anymore," the old scoundrel said.

"Pah, you vulgar brute." Xu Qi'an spat inwardly, thinking to himself, "You turned on me way too quickly. You immediately backed down once you found out I was a pawn of the Supervisor and the mysterious Warlock."

"Of course, if I can advance to the second rank, the Martial Alliance can protect you. Hehe, a second-rank martial artist, even if you can't beat a first-rank martial artist from other systems, you're not afraid."

The old man inside the stone gate laughed, "You don't need to be wary of me. I aspire to reach the pinnacle of Martial Dao, so I will absolutely not touch luck. Otherwise, I would have been locked in a life-or-death struggle with your Great Feng's ancestor five hundred years ago. As for now, I'm not rebelling, so luck is useless to me."

"But if you have great fortune by your side, perhaps you can turn your luck around and advance to the second rank?" Xu Qi'an probed.

The old man fell silent.

Just as Xu Qi'an was inwardly cursing himself for being foolish to have opened up a topic so unfavorable to him, the old man said quietly:

"What gave you the illusion that a martial artist can manipulate fate?"

Xu Qi'an bowed deeply. "It was my fault for being so hasty."

That's right. Even if this ancestor coveted his fortune, how could a crude martial artist understand how to absorb fortune?

In the end, even a virgin like him would be helpless and anxious when he saw Picasso.

After a moment of silence, Xu Qi'an, unwilling to give up, asked, "Senior, do you have any further guidance?"