My equipment is designed for cultivation; I started by slaughtering my way through a small world.

Outside the gate of the Western Mountain Sword Sect.

A young swordsman dressed in a blue robe walks along a treacherous mountain path in the Western Yue Mountains.

The young swordsman traversed the treacherous mountain path as if it were flat ground. With each step he took, his figure appeared more than two zhang away, his shadow flashing and leaving behind afterimages, reminiscent of the art of shrinking the earth to an inch.

This young swordsman was none other than Gu Qing.

After leaving the Xiyue Sword Sect, Gu Qing traveled 200 li in just one hour, leaving the Xiyue Mountain Range.

Compared to ordinary martial artists who have acquired their skills,

Gu Qing's speed on foot was comparable to that of a martial artist using their full lightness skill.

The power wielded by a Supreme Grandmaster is comparable to that of a Qi Refining Realm Immortal.

The true energy within his body underwent a transformation, turning into true essence, with a quality close to the spiritual power within the body of a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.

A single strand of true essence can crush dozens of strands of true energy at the Grandmaster level.

This is just the difference in internal energy.

If we combine the amplified effects of martial arts techniques with the difference in physical strength, the gap between a Supreme Grandmaster and a Grandmaster becomes an unfathomable chasm.

"Eight years of secluded training!!"

"Now that the world is so vast, where can't we go?"

"Ah, that feels so good..."

As a sacred place of martial arts, the influence of the Xiyue Sword Sect extends beyond the sects within the Xiyue Mountains.

Over a thousand years.

Countless disciples emerged from the sect, establishing their own sects in various places, becoming affiliated sects of the Western Mountain Sword Sect.

These affiliated sects maintain close ties with the Western Mountain Sword Sect.

The hour of You (5-7 PM).

Gu Qing arrived at a distance of 500 miles and looked at the Shenxiao Sword Sect not far away.

"Three hundred years ago, the founder of the Shenxiao Sword Sect followed the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty to conquer the world. After the world was at peace, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty granted the founder of the Shenxiao Sword Sect a fiefdom, and thus the Shenxiao Sword Sect was established."

Five years ago, I read the notes left by the founder of the Shenxiao Sword Sect in Jian Ge.

"Um!"

"Let's stay at the Divine Firmament Sword Sect today!"

Not long after.

The sect leader of the Shenxiao Sword Sect arrived at the mountain gate. Looking at the sword immortal who had suddenly appeared, he said in a trembling voice:

"Please come in, Sword Immortal!!"

"The young swordsman was ignorant and stopped you. Please forgive him, Sword Immortal."

It turned out that not long ago, Gu Qing arrived at the gate of the Shenxiao Sword Sect, but the gatekeeper insisted on receiving a formal letter of introduction before letting Gu Qing in.

Gu Qing had no complaints about the sword boy.

only.

Gu Qing didn't want to waste any more time, so he directly used his mental power to find the sect leader and notify him.

That's why the above scene appeared.

Seeing that the leader of the Divine Firmament Sword Sect seemed to recognize him, Gu Qing was slightly surprised:

Do you know me?

"Reporting to Sword Immortal, five years ago, the sect leader of the Western Mountain Sword Sect distributed your portrait to affiliated sects in various regions, and the high-ranking members of these affiliated sects all recognized you."

Five years ago, Gu Qing broke through to the Supreme Grandmaster realm.

At that time, a prodigy from the Great Yuan Empire in the north emerged out of nowhere, condensing his mind and stepping into the realm of a half-step Supreme Grandmaster.

The various factions in the Central Plains were filled with unease.

To stabilize the various affiliated sects of the Western Mountain Sword Sect, the sect leader secretly relayed Gu Qing's information to the higher-ups of the affiliated sects in different regions to reassure them.

The sect leader of the Shenxiao Sword Sect personally received Gu Qing. Upon arriving at the mountain gate, the sect leader cautiously asked, "May I ask what brings the Sword Immortal to our door?"

"Anything that the Divine Firmament Sword Sect can do, our entire sect will do, even at the cost of our lives."

"hehe!

Upon hearing this, Gu Qing chuckled and said, "Don't be nervous. I came down the mountain this time to observe martial arts from all over the world and to meet the masters of various martial arts schools."

"Is that so..."

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Shenxiao Sword Sect hesitated slightly.

"To be honest, Sword Immortal, half a year ago, the Great Yuan Empire in the north was mobilizing cavalry from various tribes, preparing to march south and conquer the Central Plains."

"It is said that the Grand Preceptor of the Great Yuan Empire was also a Supreme Grandmaster."

"This man will soon visit various sects in the Central Plains, intending to subdue the martial arts practitioners there and become a pawn of the Great Yuan Empire..."

"In response to this crisis, the Ming Empire held a gathering of heroes in its capital, Nanjing, to recruit masters from various schools to deal with the threat posed by the Yuan Empire."

"The Ming Dynasty imperial family has declared that any chivalrous person who attacks the Grand Preceptor of the Yuan Dynasty, regardless of their success or failure, can first go to the royal armory to view the royal collection of martial arts."

"The leader of the Shenxiao Sword Sect said in a low voice."

"Um?"

Gu Qing has been cultivating in seclusion at the Sword Pavilion for years. In order not to disturb Gu Qing's cultivation, no one in the Western Mountain Sword Sect has mentioned the matter of the Great Yuan Empire in the north to Gu Qing.

There is another Grandmaster? Could this person also be a mercenary employed by the Immortal Wood Group?

He frowned slightly.

He immediately suppressed the thought; so what if they were both mercenaries?

Those who obstruct my path may be killed!

Seeing Gu Qing frown and ponder, the sect leader of the Divine Firmament Sword Sect thought Gu Qing didn't understand the implications, so he explained again:

"If the sword immortal wishes to observe the martial arts of the world, he might as well make a trip to the capital of the Ming Dynasty."

"Back then, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty swept across the land and suppressed various martial arts sects in the Central Plains. He then brought the core martial arts techniques of each sect back to the capital and collected them into the royal armory."

"Even the 'Reflecting Heaven Sword Canon' collected by the Sword Pavilion of the Western Mountain Sword Sect is just a copy."

"The original copy of the 'Reflecting Heaven Sword Manual,' written by the founder himself, is now kept in the Imperial Armory of the Ming Dynasty."

"I see!"

The reason why the Ancestral God's insights are not found in the "Reflecting Heaven Sword Canon" in the Sword Pavilion is actually this.

That manual was a copy.

Not only did the Xiyue Sword Sect lose its core martial arts manual written by its founder, but the Wuxiang Temple, which was on par with the Xiyue Sword Sect, was also taken away.

All martial arts techniques in the world were collected into the royal armory.

The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty was an unparalleled grandmaster, invincible in his time.

Which sect would dare to refuse? Unable to match the strength of their opponents, the various sects could only swallow this bitter pill.

"The move by the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty has actually made things convenient for me."

"but……"

"Didn't the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty ever consider that if a disciple of a sect were to break through to the Supreme Grandmaster realm after his death, wouldn't the Ming Dynasty be doomed to perish?"

In Gu Qing's eyes, this move was very much like the style of the First Emperor.

He collected all the weapons in the land and gathered them in Xianyang. He melted down the blades and arrowheads and cast them into twelve bronze statues to weaken the people of the land.

"Back then, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty wanted to go further and explore the realms beyond the Supreme Grandmaster, which is why he collected all the martial arts in the world. Martial arts forces with Grandmasters in charge had to hand over their core martial arts inheritances."

"He even invited martial artists from various schools, including those at the Innate Realm and those at the Grandmaster Realm, to the capital to discuss the Dao and guide their cultivation."

"I hope that more supreme masters will emerge in the world."

"This founding emperor was extremely arrogant, and his only desire in life was to suffer a defeat..."

The leader of the Shenxiao Sword Sect truthfully stated.

The royal family taking away the core martial arts techniques of various schools is not a glorious thing.

Three hundred years ago, under the guidance of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor, many people broke through to the Grandmaster realm. The Western Mountain Sword Sect even produced a half-step Supreme Grandmaster who comprehended the power of the mind.

The relationship between the Ming Taizu Emperor and various factions in the Central Plains can be described as a mixture of gratitude and resentment.

"I underestimated this founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty..."

"Such an invincible state of mind, it's a pity he was born in a lower-level plane. If he were from a celestial kingdom..."

The next morning.

Gu Qing left the Shenxiao Sword Sect quietly and headed straight for the capital of the Ming Dynasty.