Xu Wandao's pupils constricted.

The Xu Family had many ancestors, but only one was etched into the memory of the Martial Dao: Xu Yanyang of the Blade Sect! But the old ancestor had died in Chang'an City; that was a well-known fact.

Could this man know the secret that the old ancestor didn't actually die and was still alive? Impossible. That's a top-tier secret! Across the world, no more than three people know that Xu Yanyang is still alive, and he is one of them. But the fact that the old ancestor is about to face his Nascent Soul tribulation... besides him, absolutely no second person could possibly know!

Xu Wandao suddenly thought of something, feeling as if he'd been struck by lightning. He remembered something the old ancestor had said before leaving Earth. The gist of it was, "I encountered a master who offered me guidance, granting me the fortune to overcome my tribulation and step into the cosmos."

Could that master be the man standing before me?

Sweat streamed down Xu Wandao's forehead as he asked with disbelief, "May I ask if Senior is Xu Lai?"

Xu Lai was somewhat surprised, a faint smile playing on his lips. "He told you about me."

THUMP!

Xu Wandao's legs trembled with such fright that he nearly collapsed to his knees.

Xu Lai steadied him and clicked his tongue. "Alright, I'm leaving. Don't tell anyone I was here, especially not my daughter."

In a flash, Xu Lai vanished.

Excitement, exhilaration, and utter shock warred on Xu Wandao's face.

To have guided the old ancestor... just how high must this senior's Boundary be? The old ancestor himself said he owed this man a favor as vast as the heavens!

"Xu Wandao, how could you let Senior Xu Lai leave?" The voice of a Ninth Grade Martial Ancestor, hovering in the sky, echoed in his mind via Divine Sense, sounding frantic. "The Martial Dao Association was still planning to have him give a speech on stage!"

"You know Senior Xu Lai?" Xu Wandao was astonished. He had just returned from Chang'an and was unaware of many things that had transpired on Earth.

"Obviously! The Dragan vein of Mount Fu was created by the senior alone."

"Wasn't the Dragan vein created when Li Sanbai died…"

"Idiot, that was a diversion," the Ninth Grade Martial Ancestor interrupted. "But the higher-ups still have their doubts about the Dragan vein. After all, Senior Xu Lai's background is too mysterious; it's as if he appeared out of thin air."

A mysterious background? Xu Wandao gazed at the empty seat beside him, the young man's calm smile still vivid in his mind. It makes sense. To be held in such high esteem by the old ancestor, Xu Yanyang himself... who on Earth could possibly investigate such a powerful figure?

Xu Wandao said dispiritedly, "Tell that old brat Gao He not to bother investigating Senior Xu Lai's identity. It's a waste of time."

"What do you mean?" the Ninth Grade Martial Ancestor asked in confusion. "Do you know something?"

"I know nothing," Xu Wandao said coolly. "You should worry about the upcoming tournament schedule. The entire plan has been thrown into chaos."

"..."

At the mention of this, all three Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors grew worried. This year was unlike any other. In the past, they could always scrape together a top one hundred, but now, only twenty-three contestants had advanced. None of the old rules could be used.

While the Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors fretted, the twenty-three finalists stood in the center of the martial arts arena, basking in the cheers from the crowd.

Among them, a full twelve were from the one sect, three major sects, and Nine Pavilions.

Compared to the other martial artists, these young men and women from established Sect Gates all carried a composed demeanor that belied their age.

For instance, Yun Jin the Taotie and Yiyi were outliers. The former was yawning, utterly bored, while the latter was worried her parents would find out. Qian Xiao, on the other hand, was grinning from ear to ear.

He chattered excitedly, "Yiyi, we're one big step closer to our goal!"

Among all the martial artists, the sole Sixth Grade Martial Artist was from the Penglai Sword Pavilion.

His name was Deng Shu.

With a cold expression, he looked toward Xu Die, who was talking with the person beside her. "Your swordsmanship is not bad. You could come to my Sword Pavilion and serve as a substitute Sword Maiden."

This statement made the martial artists in the arena who knew of the Penglai Sword Pavilion gasp.

A Sword Maiden. It meant spending a lifetime in the Penglai Sword Pavilion, passing the rest of one's days with countless sword manuals and the thousands of swords that had slept for centuries in the Sword Tomb.

This was torture, but it was also an unparalleled opportunity!

Xu Die finally spoke, her voice very gentle. "I don't know of any Sword Pavilion. I only know of the Sword Ranking."

Carrying a wooden sword on her back, she smiled brilliantly. "I want to inscribe my name on the Sword Ranking. Can your Sword Pavilion help me do that?"

A deathly silence fell.

The Sword Ranking had appeared several months ago in the Shushan mountain range of Hua Country, a counterpart to the distant Sky Ranking.

The Sky Ranking was a sword formed from a thread of essential aura from every Martial Ancestor of the last three hundred years of the Martial Dao, its sharpness concealed.

The Sword Ranking, however, was the exact opposite, its sharpness on full display.

Forget the Penglai Sword Pavilion; even peak Divine Gate Realm powerhouses could not leave their names on that "Sword."

The expressions of the other finalists were incredibly strange. The Penglai Sword Pavilion had always been one of the Holy Lands in the eyes of Sword Cultivators, all of whom dreamed of taking a sword from the Sword Tomb or even glimpsing its sword manuals.

But now... the heart of sword cultivation was gradually shifting toward that Sword Ranking, which was a huge blow to the Penglai Sword Pavilion.

First, far fewer young people were joining the Sword Pavilion, and second, its status had dropped significantly. The Penglai Sword Pavilion couldn't even leave a mark on the Sword Ranking, yet it dared to call itself the greatest in the world of the sword? It was a joke!

Deng Shu said coldly, "You're mocking me."

"No," Xu Die shook her head and said earnestly, "it's just that the Sword Ranking is very important to me. I must leave my name on it."

The memory of that night was still vivid in Xu Die's mind. Butterflies danced in the moonlight, and one of them fluttered before her, transforming into a stream of light that entered her body.

The very next day, when Xu Die went for her usual swordsmanship lesson with her grandmother—a descendant of a great Sword Sect family from the Sakura Country and a master of the art—everything changed. The swordsmanship that had once been a jumbled mess in her mind suddenly clicked into place, becoming perfectly clear. For the first time ever, she defeated her grandmother with her wooden sword. After that, her parents no longer opposed her learning the sword.

"No one can leave their name on the Sword Ranking, not even those at the peak of the Divine Gate Realm."

Deng Shu looked at the girl, who was only six or seven years old, and his brows furrowed deeply. He was already thirteen, a core prodigy of the Penglai Sword Pavilion, so he naturally knew secrets hidden from ordinary people.

Looking into Deng Shu's eyes, Xu Die stated, word by word, "I can."

At this, Deng Shu just laughed coldly and said no more.

Meanwhile, Yun Jin quietly nudged Qian Xiao's back and asked, "What's the Sword Ranking?"

"It's..." Cold sweat beaded on Qian Xiao's forehead. He had no idea!

He had only found out the details of this martial arts tournament from a promotional flyer on his mother's desk. As for why Luo Chu had one on her desk in the first place, Qian Xiao hadn't even thought to wonder.

"A mountain, but also a sword," Xu Die said with a longing expression. "There is only one character on the mountain—'Xu'!"

"Xu?"

Little Glutton's expression turned strange. Could it have been left by The Supreme Emperor?

Qian Xiao muttered, "Xu... Don't tell me it's the 'Xu' from 'Qingfeng' Xu Lai?"

"Yes," Xu Die looked at him, puzzled. "How did you know?"

"My father's surname is Xu," Xu Yiyi said seriously. "He must have done it."

...

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