Images of illustrious individuals from the past congregated on Planet Ancient Emperor. The seething clouds erupted, creating blooms like flower blossoms that turned into canopies. Dazzling light illuminated the canopies with five auspicious colors. Golden dragons swirled in the air, inhaling and exhaling energy, which completely obscured the other chosen seeking enlightenment.

The chosen, sensing what was happening, opened their eyes and looked in the direction of the dazzling light shooting toward the imperial palace. Everyone was bewildered.

Ningyan was in the group, his eyes wide and his mind spinning. His gaze was focused on that dazzling light, and within it, The Emperor’s Sword. The sword was made of ancient bronze, had decorative patterns carved into it, and seemed completely domineering and overwhelming.

It happened so suddenly that people didn’t really have a chance to react before the heaven-rending, earth-crushing Emperor’s Sword had arrived in front of the imperial palace. Without even a slight pause, the sword shot toward the group gathered there. The air shattered, and the palace trembled. Much of the palace crumbled, to the shock of everyone present.

The majestic sword pulsed with the destiny aura of humankind, and contained something profoundly ancient. It passed by the emperor himself, went along the right-hand side of the chief minister, and shot through the crowd toward… Xu Qing’s right hand.

In the blink of an eye, the sword lurched to a halt right above Xu Qing. An intense thrumming sound filled the air, and the sword, as if seeking its own master, slowly lowered into Xu Qing’s hand. He closed his fingers around the hilt. The moment he did, thunderous rumbling echoed out. The illustrious figures from the past were all compelled to follow the ancient ceremonial forms, and clasped hands submissively.

All of the officials gathered in front of the palace were cultivators, and regardless of their personality or cultivation base, they could be considered dragons amongst men. But right now, they were shaken to the core as they looked at Xu Qing and the sword he held.

The bronze Emperor’s Sword was four feet and seven inches long, with an incredibly sharp edge and a domineering sword energy. It seemed like a sword that could sever heaven. It glittered as Xu Qing held it, sending out towering sword light that stirred the wind and clouds. Everyone who could see it with their own eyes felt drawn to it. That sword light would cause all other divine weapons to turn dark, and could force an army of a thousand into retreat.

The ground quaked as ancient sword light became a force that could topple the ages. White light contained suns and moons, while violet energy harnessed the constellations of the Dipper and Ox. 1

Everyone was deeply shaken. As of now, the thousands of chosen seeking enlightenment were irrelevant. It didn’t matter how they gained enlightenment or what kind of show they put on. Xu Qing was so superior that he was on a completely different level. All of them had gained enlightenment of legacies, while Xu Qing had waved his hand and summoned The Emperor’s Sword!

It was especially noteworthy because it was the sword of Grand Emperor Swordsage! The meaning was profound.

Grand Emperor Swordsage had been the founder of the Sword Division, and after that, the Swordsage Division. He defended humankind down to the very end. What was more, his sword could be used to cut down anyone who posed an obstacle to the development of humankind. Even the emperor!

It didn’t take long for people to realize what sword this was, and what its background was. And then they thought about how, when Xu Qing first arrived in the imperial capital, he had caused the Grand Emperor to wake up. Now it seemed obvious that these two separate events were connected.

“The successor of the Sword Division!”

The gathered officials looked at Xu Qing and they looked at The Emperor’s Sword. Although various thoughts ran through their heads, all of them looked respectful, although it wasn’t directed at Xu Qing specifically, but at The Emperor’s Sword.

Xu Qing, meanwhile, was also shaken as he looked at the sword. Then he thought about what Grand Emperor Swordsage had said to him when they met. Everything… fit together. That said, Xu Qing wasn’t exactly happy. The moment he took hold of that sword, his suspicion from earlier was confirmed. The Grand Emperor was going to perish, and Xu Qing was being bequeathed an important responsibility. Maybe he wasn’t the only one the Grand Emperor would bequeath with responsibility, but either way, the sword was extremely important.

Inside, Xu Qing sighed and prepared to put the sword away. But before he could, sword light flared, creating a sea of light that completely surrounded Xu Qing. Then the sword flew out of his hand and shot toward his forehead. In the blink of an eye, The Emperor’s Sword and its sword light vanished inside. A tremor passed through him as his three god troves rumbled into being behind him, emanating terrifying pressure.

At the same time… a fourth secret trove appeared! It was only a vague outline, but it was there. And it caused Xu Qing’s cultivation base to rise and his energy to improve. The fourth secret trove was nothing but a mass of mist, but if you looked closely, you would see The Emperor’s Sword inside of it. It was powering up, all while emanating a shocking sharpness that could cause ghosts and gods alike to weep. This was an Emperor’s Sword secret trove!

The moment it appeared, Xu Qing’s three god troves trembled and emanated godly might. The Emperor’s Sword secret trove wasn’t outdone, as it pulsed with astonishing sword might.

Unlike Xu Qing’s god troves, it had nothing to do with gods. But The Emperor’s Sword still had terrifying power, and also a very high level of personhood. That said, Xu Qing couldn’t unleash it yet, as he couldn’t control it.

That was because it contained a sword with a mission. It wasn’t something that human willpower could manipulate. Rather than saying that it had recognized Xu Qing as its lord and master, it was more proper to say that the Grand Emperor had chosen him as the bearer of the sword.

He was to carry The Emperor’s Sword out in the world. The sword was actually waiting. It needed an appropriate moment to attend to its mission, whereupon it would fly out from the secret trove with deadly force.

Of course, as the bearer of the sword, Xu Qing would benefit greatly from the sword will and energy it emitted. As Xu Qing looked at the Emperor’s Sword secret trove, he gained understanding in his heart. The sword thrummed as the secret trove faded and disappeared along with the three god troves. Heaven and earth went silent.

The emperor looked at Xu Qing deeply, then smiled. “Well done.”

Next to him, the imperial preceptor’s facial expression didn’t change. The smile didn’t leave his face.

Xu Qing looked at the imperial preceptor and attempted to summon The Emperor’s Sword. If it worked, then he would use its power right here and now. Sadly… the Emperor’s Sword didn’t stir. Xu Qing sighed inwardly.

When the sword disappeared, the fluctuations on Planet Ancient Emperor died down. The images of the figures of the past faded away, and everything went back to normal. The legacy storm around Third Prince reappeared. Everything was just like it had been before The Emperor’s Sword appeared. The rest of the chosen seeking enlightenment couldn’t help but feel defeated. Only a few of them maintained an even keel.

Ningyan was one of the latter. He had been shocked at first, but knowing what he did about Xu Qing and his background, it was actually not very surprising.

Another who continued on as before was Third Prince. He was more than happy to see Xu Qing take action. After all, if Fourth Prince had succeeded at gaining enlightenment of a Grand Emperor’s legacy, then the entire event would have centered around Fourth Prince’s unparalleled accomplishments. Things had actually turned out perfectly as far as Third Prince was concerned.

Of course, everything that played out really stirred up Fourth Prince emotionally. He normally looked cultured, refined, civilized, and benevolent. But today… as he sat there cross-legged in the clouds, he looked in the direction of the imperial palace with a grim look on his face. He knew that he had just lost a lot of face. What was more, he came out looking like a moron. A laughingstock. His legacy had been whisked away from him, and in the presence of his own Master and father.

However, after only a few breaths of time passed, his expression returned to normal. He once again looked cultured and refined. He even clasped hands in the direction of the imperial palace, which was a show of respect to The Emperor’s Sword and also an expression of congratulations to Xu Qing. Having a disposition like that only made him more likable to most people.

Though Fourth Prince looked calm and relaxed, there were other people who didn’t seem ready to abandon the opportunities presented to them.

Therefore, even as Xu Qing was calculating the time and preparing to use The Emperor’s Sword as a pretext to take his leave, someone stood up on the rainbow bridge, just in front of the guards in golden armor. Clasping hands, he bowed in the direction of the imperial palace.

“Greetings, my Emperor! I am your humble servant Tuo Muwei, born in the Dropcloud Region, and returned to my people a sixty-year-cycle ago. Just now, I personally witnessed Region Lord Xu steal Fourth Prince’s legacy in front of a huge crowd. I simply can’t let this stand!

“We cultivators need a clear mind to make progress. What’s more, you previously announced to the public that humankind needs to improve its martial abilities. Therefore, your humble servant would like to be so bold as to ask Region Lord Xu for some guidance in that regard.

“Please, grant me permission, Emperor!”

Tuo Muwei was a burly man wearing a long hemp robe. He was tall and muscular, with free-flowing hair and sharp eyes that pulsed with death. He emitted the fluctuations of the great circle of Spirit Trove. He had five secret troves behind him, and clearly specialized in body refinement. As he stood there, his energy and blood surged, and the secret troves behind him combined to make a blood cloud that spread in all directions.

The moment he spoke, all eyes outside the imperial palace turned to focus on him.

Up on Planet Ancient Emperor, Fourth Prince suddenly looked up, and his eyes glittered with killing intent. Tuo Muwei was actually part of his organization, but Fourth Prince hadn’t put him up to this. In fact, this was actually a very unfavorable development for Fourth Prince. Although a clever person would realize there was more going on here than met the eye, the reality was that even baseless rumors could have a profound effect.

What was more, if his father became displeased, then it wouldn’t matter if the accusations were false. He could still be affected. Thus, killing intent burned in Fourth Prince’s heart. Rising to his feet, he bowed in the direction of the imperial palace.

“Tuo Muwei!” he shouted. “How dare you harbor evil intentions! Back down immediately!”

Tuo Muwei bowed his head. “Orders received. I, Tuo Muwei, have acted impulsively. However, Region Lord Xu’s actions are truly malevolent and greedy to the extreme. He doesn’t deserve the title he was conferred with, and definitely does not deserve to have The Emperor’s Sword!”

His words caused Fourth Prince’s face to become a mask of fury. Though Tuo Muwei had bowed his head, the words he spoke were actually like a deadly weapon. Fourth Prince was just preparing to berate him further when the emperor spoke in a cool voice.

“For throwing the ceremony into chaos, you shall be executed.”

Two of the guards in the golden armor hefted their sharp swords and then slashed them down. When the emperor gave orders, they were strictly enforced. And thus, the swords sliced into Tuo Muwei… and chopped him into four pieces, which flopped onto the ground. Everyone maintained reverent attitudes.

As for Xu Qing, he had been calm the entire time, as none of this was his responsibility. Now, he clasped hands to the emperor.

“Your Majesty, after acquiring The Emperor’s Sword, my secret trove is somewhat unstable. I hereby request permission to leave and stabilize my enlightenment.”

“Permission granted.” The Emperor looked up at the planet.

Xu Qing turned, nodded to the crowd, and then walked across the Immortal Reception Plaza and out the door, completely ignoring the corpse on the ground.

The wind blew as he calmly left.