Legend of Swordsman

Mingjue stood before the temple gate, letting out a soft sigh.

His strength wasn’t sufficient. Although he was formidable among the Jindan cultivators, even achieving an invincible level within his rank, he still lacked the qualifications to participate in this great tribulation without reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

The winds of change were upon them.

Experts within Tai’an City began to move in a frenzy, rushing towards Mangshan County.

Even the common folk in the city sensed that something was amiss, as the army guarding the capital had already mobilized.

When immortals fight, it’s not just the immortals who suffer.

Although Mangshan County no longer housed mortals, the land still belonged to the Tang Empire.

So it had to be defended.

Even if immortals were battling there, they had to go.

After all, many from the Barbarian Lands and the Southern Seven Kingdoms had also gone, eager to annex the Tang Empire in one swift move.

Among the major forces, only the Barbarian Lands and the Southern Seven Kingdoms harbored such ambitions.

The ancient cultivators of the Northern Glacier, known to the Tang Empire as demon cultivators, had no interest in seizing territory. Most of them originated from the Tang Empire, and after accepting the inheritance of the Divine Eye, they remained in the Northern Glacier to cultivate.

By now, night had fully fallen. Mangshan County was engulfed in darkness, without a single light, resembling a primordial beast lurking outside the canyon.

Yet, deep within the canyon, the area was ablaze with light, as bright as day.

In the southeast direction, seventy-two warships hovered in mid-air above the mountain ridges, resembling a vast constellation, illuminating the peaks.

The two large factions, with their numerous members, were positioned very close to each other, and the atmosphere was thick with tension.

The lower-ranking experts were ready, their fists clenched, waiting for the command.

What they didn’t know was that the top experts from all the major forces had already gathered at the summit of the mountains.

A figure clad in luxurious robes, exuding a powerful aura and bearing a stern expression that commanded respect, stood at the forefront and spoke loudly, ”Nantian Realm, Tianyang Sect Master, Hua Xuejian!”

”I, Zhang Xiansheng, represent the Northern Glacier!” The young man in a yellow Daoist robe merely raised his head slightly, appearing very modest.

With the leaders of the two great cultivation realms having spoken, a representative from the Barbarian Lands forces also stepped forward.

”Barbarian Lands, Qianzu Leader, Miao Renfeng,” the white-haired man, though appearing old, had a robust physique, with his chest bare and clad in beast skins that gave him a wild look. However, his tone was surprisingly gentle.

Strictly speaking, the Barbarian Lands didn’t count as part of the cultivation world. Their isolationist ways and refusal to acknowledge the practices of ancient Qi cultivators meant they were never truly part of the same path. Over time, as they abandoned ancient inheritances, their power gradually waned, leading to their exclusion to the Barbarian Lands territories. Most of them lived on the borders between the Eastern Lands and the Northern Glacier.

In ordinary times, orthodox cultivators would look down on these people.

But now, with everyone gathered together to face the entire Eastern Lands cultivation world, they naturally came together.

There was no idle chit-chat. They went straight to the point.

How to enter Mangshan County?

In truth, they had already arrived.

But no one had taken the first step into Mangshan County’s city, fearing an ambush.

Here is the translation:

An empty city!

No guards, no presence of any kind.

This surprised them greatly.

If it were just one faction coming, they might have taken the risk, but with three parties gathered together, who would take the lead became the critical question.

As the saying goes, ”When three people walk together, one can be my teacher!”

This saying wasn’t wrong, and it had spread widely among many mortal worlds for a reason. When people gathered, power formed!

Just like now, with three factions converging, each had its own calculations. And since the matter was of great importance, some had even waited for a thousand years.

At such a crucial moment, the first to bear the brunt of the attack would affect their chances in the subsequent struggle for the opportunity.

Thus, they were all conserving their strength, trying to manipulate the others into taking the lead.

However, the leaders of the three great factions had different thoughts.

They were the most anxious because it concerned their greatest interests.

What opportunities could those in the middle and lower ranks find here?

They were nothing more than cannon fodder.

But now, the three leaders had to make some symbolic gestures. If they recklessly charged in

and only let one side’s subordinates die, they would lose face.

The most anxious were still the three leaders, so they gathered together to perform this

public show.

Such things were most evident among mortals, but even among cultivators, while the effect was somewhat diminished, it still persisted.

Even if only one faction came, there would still be internal factions and conflicts.

In the end, everyone was fighting for themselves.

If there were a few hot-headed individuals, it would be a rare occurrence. ”Everyone, time is of the essence. We need to come up with a strategy quickly. Don’t forget, this is the Eastern Lands, this is the Great Tang, the strongest cultivation world in the Scarlet Eye Realm. I’m sure many of you come from the Great Tang and understand just how powerful its foundation is. The True Immortal from Baoguang Temple is rumored to be a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, and the guardian of Princess Tomb has always been a Nascent Soul stage cultivator!” Hua Xuejian from the Southern Heaven Realm spoke first.

He felt he should take the lead, after all, among the three factions, it was the Southern Heaven Realm that had the most to boast about.

Although the Northern Territory Glacier was an ancient relic, and its cultivators were known as inheritors, in the eyes of those from the Southern Heaven Realm and the Eastern Lands,

they were nothing more than a group of demonic cultivator disciples.

Because ancient inheritance didn’t only mean the God Eye inheritance.

The God Eye inheritance was extremely harsh; many cultivators couldn’t even pass the most basic Black Eye inheritance. So, many who went to the Northern Territory Glacier, after losing hope, would go to other relics to try their luck.

The main focus of the ancient inheritance was the God Eye inheritance, but those who became super-powerful through it would leave behind their own inheritance grounds before

ascending.

In its heyday, thousands of immortals ascended.

Their inheritances fell into the Northern Territory Glacier like raindrops.

Therefore, many cultivators inherited from the ancient cultivators and became known as

inheritors.

But among these inheritances, demonic cultivators were the most numerous.

Because the requirements were low, many accepted the inheritance of demonic cultivators.

That’s why they were called demonic cultivator disciples by the outside world. Calling them disciples was even a compliment; in such a grand setting, being polite meant referring to them as cultivators of the Holy Sect.

If things turned ugly or they were mentioned behind their backs, they would be cursed as demonic cultivators.

Of course, even the proud geniuses who could accept the God Eye inheritance were also cursed, but those who reached such heights didn’t care about the opinions of the outside

world.

Now, with Hua Xuejian from the Southern Heaven Realm speaking up and showcasing the righteousness of his sect, it was a normal move.

As for Miao Renfeng from the Savage Barbarians, he was hardly worth mentioning, so naturally, he had nothing to say. Instead, he was eager to hear what this righteous leader from the Southern Heaven Realm had in mind.

In his understanding, the more righteous a cultivator claimed to be, the more devious their schemes, and they could still speak with great righteousness.

Zhang Xiansheng from the Northern Territory Glacier, on the other hand, was more pragmatic. He didn’t care about Hua Xuejian’s leadership demeanor; what mattered to him was how things would proceed now.

So after hearing Hua Xuejian’s empty words, he immediately retorted, ”Baoguang Temple

and Princess Tomb won’t easily involve themselves. Even if they do, these two can’t stop the forces of our three factions!”