Grandpa, times have changed.

Doesn't it count?

Ming simply smiled and didn't say anything more, then brought up another matter:

"I heard that kid Chen Yuanlin was lucky enough to receive guidance from you, Sword Ancestor?"

Chen Yuanlin was ultimately chosen as the Ascension Messenger for the first Ascension Mission of the Righteous Alliance.

He returned to the Central Continent specifically for the 'Ascension Plan'. Now that the candidates have been selected, he naturally wants to learn more about it.

It was during this process that he heard from Yuan about what had happened at the martial arts competition.

Choosing an opponent like the Sword Ancestor...

Should we say that kid is courting death?
Or perhaps you should say that the kid has good taste!
After all, there are very few cultivators in this world who can receive guidance from the Sword Ancestor.

"It was just a coincidence," Xu Xing explained casually. "How is he now?"

“Having received guidance from the Sword Ancestor, he naturally achieved ‘enlightenment’,” Ming said with a smile. “After strengthening his foundation, he is already considered the most outstanding among the younger generation in the alliance.”

Moreover, her personality seems to have changed somewhat compared to before.

He went to see him in person, and the boy's performance surprised him greatly.

It's no exaggeration to say that Chen Yuanlin is now the most insightful of the younger generation of cultivators in the alliance.

If he hadn't had to guard the front lines of the starry sky and hadn't already taken on a closed-door disciple many years ago, he probably would have really considered taking on a disciple.

"If he can continue to maintain his current mindset and move forward, he might even put pressure on the Sword Master's peerless eldest disciple in the future."

"That's good."

It's alright if he left in a hurry; he's still young.

The path of cultivation is long, and there will always be time for him to make up for it.

If we have the chance to meet again, I could give him a small gift.

As for whether Chen Yuanlin's reorganization and strengthening of his foundation will put pressure on Chi Jiuyu...

That guy was extremely secretive in order to maintain his status as the "Number One Prodigy of All Realms" forever.

She was just cheerful and carefree every day, which is why outsiders thought she was irresponsible and irresponsible.

For her, the greatest pressure actually came from herself.

At most, add one more Abyss!

"However, if you happen to meet Jiu Yu, it's best not to say these things."

"Ok?"

You can't even say this.

“If you say she is ‘unparalleled in talent,’ she will become arrogant. She’s already mischievous enough.”

Having received the Third-Class Red Vanguard Medal during this period, she's already become quite arrogant.

bright:"……"

That’s what it meant.

But then again...

Sword Master is known for being aloof and dislikes outsiders, so how could her disciple be associated with the word 'mischievous'?

It's no wonder that they don't understand.

Firstly, he was stationed on the front lines of the starry sky for a long time and rarely returned to the central continent.

Secondly, twenty-odd years is far too short a time for a Daoist master.

Chi Jiuyu first became known to the world when he won the championship in the Nascent Soul group at the Immortal Sect Grand Competition with an absolutely crushing victory.

Before that, she had some fame, but that was about it.

……

……

The time came to noon.

Shengji Cave Heaven is a cave heaven that does not exist in the present world and exists at a level that ordinary cultivators cannot reach.

It is also the residence of Cheng Ding, the master of the Shengji Sword, in the Sword Sect.

Its landscape is beautiful, with misty clouds swirling among the mountains, rainbows flowing through them, and vast waves stretching endlessly.

Climbing to a high vantage point, one can take in the vast expanse of the ocean.

Compared to Jinghai's simple cave, Chengding's cave was no different from a real world.

In the very center of the grotto, a magnificent palace stands, its entire structure a bluish-white color.

In front of the hall was a vast training ground, with black and red banners fluttering in the wind, exuding a solemn and awe-inspiring atmosphere.

"Little Zhao, my improved 'Annihilation Sword' is awesome... isn't it!"

In the very center of the training ground, Chi Jiuyu looked at Zhao Ruohan opposite him with a grin.

Zhao Ruohan pursed her lips, somewhat unwilling.

But given the situation just now, there's no way to say 'no'.

"sharp."

Just now, the two had another match.

More accurately, after being challenged by Chi Jiuyu, Zhao Ruohan specially traveled from the Supreme Dao Sect to the Sword Sect to have a match with her.

She believes she has made significant progress during this period.

After planting the spiritual plant seed given to her by the Sword Ancestor using her innate divine power 'Ten Thousand Green Primordial Wood Supreme Immortal Light', she not only gained new insights into her innate divine power, but also honed her own magical power by using the spiritual essence emitted by the sprouting spiritual plant.

Even her father said that she has made great progress recently.

Therefore, she is quite confident about Chi Jiuyu's challenge.

result……

Three swords!

Chi Jiuyu defeated her with just three sword strikes!

One move is the Four Symbols Annihilation Sword Wheel, another is the Spirit Cloud Dao Sword, and the third is the Annihilation Sword.

She has made progress, but Chi Jiuyu has made even greater progress than her!
Especially the improved 'Sword of Annihilation', although its power is not as great as before, she can control it perfectly.

If the 'Sword of Annihilation' was once extremely powerful, Chi Jiuyu could only make five-tenths of it effective.

The current 'Sword of Annihilation' only has seven-tenths of its power, yet she can make all seven-tenths effective!
"Hehe! Actually, it's all thanks to the injuries I sustained this time, and the medicine Xiao Ye gave me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to complete the improvement of the 'Annihilation Sword' so quickly."

Of course, her own exceptional talent and wisdom also played a significant role!

Chi Jiuyu appeared 'humble' on the surface, but inwardly he was quite pleased with himself.

"Was it an injury..." Zhao Ruohan murmured softly, lost in thought.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Chi Jiuyu quickly spoke up, "I got the inspiration because the power properties of the new biological weapon are similar to the 'Sword of Annihilation,' so don't do anything reckless!"

Xiao Zhao is a good person in every way, except he's a bit stubborn.

She was genuinely afraid that Xiao Zhao would go off to the stars to find new biological weapons and risk his life.

"Don't worry, I'm not as reckless as you think." Zhao Ruohan shook her head slightly.

"I haven't even said anything yet, and you've already blurted it out yourself."

Chi Jiuyu moved closer to her and hugged her tightly, teasing her with winks and grimaces.

"..."

Zhao Ruohan remained silent.

After so much hard work and practice, I thought I had finally caught up, but the gap still exists.

She really is a bit withdrawn.

"Hey! Don't be discouraged. The 'Sword of Annihilation' is our trump card. Although you can't compare to us, you're still better than the others." Chi Jiuyu said with a serious expression.

"After all, I am the number one genius in all the heavens and myriad realms. It's not shameful for me to lose to you!"

"For example, Dog Bro, I feel he's not as good as you."

She also gave an example.

"..."

You'd be better off not saying anything at all.

Zhao Ruohan felt that she was not comforted at all, but the depression in her heart did dissipate a lot.

"You haven't fought with him recently."

"Oh?!" Chi Jiuyu was somewhat surprised. "I thought you would say that Brother Dog wasn't important, like before."

Zhao Ruohan looked at her expressionlessly.

Chi Jiuyu avoided her gaze: "Ahem! How about this, I'll treat you to a meal!"

There's nothing I can do, nothing I can do. I'm just too outstanding, which puts pressure on Xiao Zhao.

Xiao Zhao usually treats her very well.

They even got her some of the internal products of the Supreme Daoist Sect.

"Let me tell you, my martial uncle brought me another box of Xuanzhu Fruits, the really big kind. I'll share one with you later!"

Zhao Ruohan, who was about to refuse, nodded in agreement after hearing this.

"it is good."

She had managed to buy a few Xuanzhu Fruits through various channels, but none of them were as good as those from Chi Jiuyu.

Usually, two or three are needed to equal the size of her Xuanzhu Fruit.

Hearing her agreement, Chi Jiuyu grinned and turned to call out into the main hall:
"Senior brother! We're off then!"

She didn't want to go to the Sword Venerable Hall, a place that made Yu sad, because she hadn't received the red envelope from her martial uncle last time.

I went to the Sword Ancestor's Hall but couldn't find my Uncle-Master, so I came here to ask Senior Brother Cheng for help.

"Ah."

A faint sound echoed over the training ground.

……

……

After the Shengji Hall.

Bamboo shadows sway gently, and the lake water is a clear blue.

An elegant little pavilion sits beside a bamboo grove, with two figures sitting on either side of a stone table inside.

One of them looked like a young man, while the other was a composed middle-aged man.

Hong Sheng, and Cheng Ding, who has recovered considerably.

Hong Sheng's expression was somewhat complicated at this moment.

Although Xiao Ruohan greatly admired Chi Jiuyu, he had always been somewhat dismissive of her.

genius?

Who in the world could be more talented than 'Yuan'?

Until today's match.

He was able to learn the 'Sword of Annihilation' in his early twenties, improve upon it, and even create the 'Four Symbols Annihilation Sword Wheel' and 'Spirit Cloud Dao Sword' with great potential...

If this isn't considered genius, then there are no geniuses in the world.

"How was my junior sister Jiuyu's performance? Not bad, right?" Cheng Ding looked at him.

“It’s passable…” Hong Sheng gave a bitter smile. “It’s more than just passable.”

He had considered becoming a sword cultivator back then.

After all, he was young and impetuous at the time, and he also longed for that dashing image of someone dressed in white, riding the wind and wielding a sword.

After much pleading and cajoling, his father finally agreed to arrange for him to participate in the supreme inheritance trial of the Sword Sect's "Tai Xu Sword Canon".

Without a doubt, that trial ended in failure.

Unwilling to give up, he also tried the supreme inheritance trial of the "Slaying Sword Manual".

Not only did it fail, but I also had bad luck for over a month...

Even after he returned to the Void, he still harbored resentment about this matter, so he went to see his father again.

His father, however, passed on to him a supreme sword technique called the "Tai Xu Sword Manual," which was not part of the supreme inheritance and was somewhat dangerous.

This includes the four swords: Annihilation, Severance, Absolute, and Interception.

He spent a total of twenty years studying it, but in the end, he only managed to learn the first sword technique, the 'Sword of Annihilation,' in a haphazard way.

Not to mention improvements like those made by Chi Jiuyu.

“Xiao Ruohan and Xiao Ruoming are both stronger than I was back then, not to mention this Junior Sister Jiuyu.”

Even if you put them in the most dazzling era of Yuan, they would still be able to shine in their own way.

"Junior brother, there's no need to underestimate yourself. You were better than I was back then."

“The conditions are different, so there’s no comparison.” Hong Sheng shook his head slightly.

Having achieved enlightenment this time, he learned many things he 'shouldn't have known' before.

Therefore, he was well aware that in the era when his senior brother Cheng lived, even the theory of cultivation was not very complete. Everyone was crammed into the few cultivation methods available, with no room for choice.

“Things are different now,” Cheng Ding said with a smile.

"In the past, would you have dared to imagine that a twenty-two-year-old Nascent Soul cultivator would appear in the world?"

"Times are constantly moving forward, and so are people."

Just as Master said, there has never been a better era than now, from ancient times to the present.

"..."

Hong Sheng remained silent for a while, recalling everything he had seen after leaving the pass, and then smiled as well.

"indeed."

If he was still somewhat unconvinced by Yuan when he first emerged from seclusion, he was completely convinced after learning about all that Yuan had done over the years.

Shortly after emerging from seclusion, he joined a forum for high-level cultivators through his father.

Some people even said that Yuan was able to do all this because he borrowed the power of the Sword Ancestor.

If it weren't for the 'Tai Xuan Blood Calamity' caused by the Sword Ancestor, he would never have been able to change the entire Tai Xuan Realm.

Even more extreme, some say that Yuan guessed that the Sword Ancestor wouldn't mind his 'borrowing power' behavior, which is why he 'borrowed power' so recklessly.

That's utter bullshit!

Did you guess?
If you guessed it, why don't you do it?
He argued with Shi Yuan, his lifelong rival, for a whole day and night, and finally managed to shut that idiot down.

“Yuan, who brought about this era, is a remarkable person,” Hong Sheng said sincerely.

It is true that Yuan borrowed the power of the Sword Ancestor.

If it weren't for the 'Tai Xuan Blood Calamity' instigated by the Sword Ancestor, which laid the foundation, it would have been difficult for him to change the entire Tai Xuan Realm, and that's true.

But the word 'all' cannot be used.

The Sword Ancestor made so many attempts back then, but none of them succeeded. Everyone knows that he wanted to change the world.

But over the years, only Yuan has stood up, and only he dared to stand up and truly changed the world.

"..."

Cheng Ding gave him a strange look.

Didn't Ning Wanzhu, Ning Shimei, and Yuan have a conflict more than a thousand years ago?
He had a deep impression of this incident, mainly because one of the matches between Hongsheng and Yuan took place near a town under the jurisdiction of the Sword Sect.

Later, Yuanhedao struck him with a single finger, severely injuring him.

Known for his arrogance, he didn't seem to mind at all...

Why does one's mindset change so much after attaining enlightenment?
"It seems your opinion of Yuan has changed quite a bit."

"It's just a fact. In terms of cultivation, actions, and temperament, I am inferior to him," Hong Sheng said calmly.

"..."

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that the junior brother Hong who so readily admitted he was inferior to Yuan was actually that arrogant fool from over a thousand years ago.

Suddenly, Hongsheng seemed to have thought of something:
"Speaking of which, with such high swordsmanship talent as Junior Sister Jiu Yu, didn't Senior Sword Venerable and Senior Sword Ancestor ever think of letting her learn that sword technique?"

That sword...

Cheng Ding paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

“Master and senior uncle have their own arrangements, and Junior Sister Jiuyu also has her own path to walk.”

That sword strike was hailed as the pinnacle of talent—

The Ultimate Sword.

Most other sword techniques were not included in the Inheritance Hall because of the dangers associated with their practice.

But the 'Sword of the Ultimate' is different.

It was not included in the Hall of Inheritance simply because it was too difficult.

Before it was removed from the Hall of Inheritance, many sword cultivators became obsessed with the 'Sword of the Ultimate' after seeing it, and never made any further progress.

After all, that was the ultimate sword created by the third senior brother after he achieved the Dongzhen realm, drawing upon his life's insights into swordsmanship!

Years ago, with a desperate sword strike, he used his True Essence to stop the severely wounded 'Tai' from advancing in an instant! (End of Chapter)