The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

“I saw it clearly. The white crane came when Master Jiang was chanting the name of the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”

As everyone was discussing this, the white crane standing on the roof of the main hall suddenly spread its wings, raised its head, and cried out loudly, its voice continuous.

At this moment, an even more miraculous scene unfolded: two more white cranes flew in from afar, their wingtips brushing against the wisps of smoke as they passed the main hall. The smoke trails, following the two cranes' circling motion, formed a Tai Chi symbol.

This bizarre scene left everyone astonished.

At this moment, Chongxu stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Could it be... that the Three Pure Ones are really watching right now?

When Chongxu succeeded as the leader of Wudang, he did the same thing as Jiang Ning, but he just completed the ceremony in an ordinary way. Unlike Jiang Ning now.

Yue Buqun was even more excited upon seeing this scene.

Doesn't this further demonstrate that his choice of Jiang Ning as his successor was recognized by the Three Pure Ones?

That wasn't the end of it. After the two cranes danced in the sky, a flock of white cranes flew in from afar and landed on the eaves of the palace.

"The Three Pure Ones resonate, a flock of cranes come to pay homage, Heaven's Dao has certified this, this is... the true orthodox lineage!"

An old Taoist priest from Wudang stared wide-eyed at the sight and said in a trembling voice.

At this moment, Yue Buqun had already knelt down in excitement.

The other Huashan disciples also knelt down and shouted.

"Welcome, Master! May your Daoist Qi endure forever!"

"Welcome, Master! May your Daoist Qi endure forever!"

The roar of the disciples of Mount Hua was so loud that the flock of cranes standing on the roof of the main hall were startled and flew away.

The white crane that had initially stood on the main hall also took flight, flying over Jiang Ning's head.

A crane feather drifted down, landing squarely on Jiang Ning's shoulder.

Jiang Ning stood up, turned to look at everyone, his expression solemn, and slowly spoke.

"The Qi of the heavens is vast and boundless, and my Dao flourishes day by day."

Linghu Chong and the other Huashan disciples said in unison.

"The Qi of the heavens is vast and boundless, and my Dao flourishes daily!"

"The Qi of the heavens is vast and boundless, and my Dao flourishes daily!"

The martial arts practitioners who had remained silent, afraid to speak for fear of disturbing the memorial service, also began to offer their congratulations.

"Congratulations, Master Jiang."

"Congratulations, Master Jiang!"

Jiang Ning nodded slightly.

From this moment on, he officially became the leader of the Huashan Sect.

The succession ceremony was drawing to a close, and several Huashan disciples began cleaning the venue and respectfully carried the offering table back to the back hall.

At this moment, everyone's emotions became agitated.

The succession ceremony will be followed by the Mount Hua Sword Competition, which is also a part they are very much looking forward to.

Jiang Ning glanced at everyone's expressions and knew their expectations, so he was about to start the Mount Hua Sword Tournament.

But at that moment, a voice came from afar.

"An angel has arrived!"

Chongxu's expression hardened even more.

finally reached.

The sudden sound caused a commotion among the crowd.

A moment later, the crowd parted to make way, and at the end of the road, a group of people were coming towards them.

The leader was fair-skinned and beardless, dressed in a python robe and jade belt. He had a delicate appearance, but he walked with a powerful stride, exuding an air of nobility rather than femininity.

Wang Zhi?

Upon seeing this person, Jiang Ning showed a slight surprise.

What did Zhu Houzhao send Wang Zhi to do?

Everyone noticed the python robe on Wang Zhi's body, and even more so, the waist tag hanging from his waist, which read "Supervisor of the Western Depot and Head of the Imperial Horse Administration".

Seeing Wang Zhi's attire and waist tag directly revealed his identity.

The crowd began to whisper among themselves.

"These are people sent by the imperial court."

"The head of the Western Depot? The director of the Imperial Horse Stable? Who is this person?"

"What did the imperial court send him for?"

Although the group consisted of people from the martial arts world who were not very knowledgeable about the affairs of the imperial court, they could tell from the waist badges bearing the seals of the Director of the Western Depot and the Director of the Imperial Horse Administration that Wang Zhi was not an ordinary eunuch.

No one knew why such a high-ranking eunuch would come to Mount Hua at this time.

Chongxu's expression became even more solemn at this moment.

He recognized Wang Zhi's identity and knew that he was a powerful figure, a favorite of the current emperor.

Chongxu's expression was solemn, and he was even more horrified inside.

He knew that Zhu Houzhao had sent an envoy to Mount Hua, but he never expected it to be this powerful figure.

This shows how much Zhu Houzhao valued Jiangning.

Wang Zhi remained expressionless, his narrow eyes staring straight ahead, ignoring the martial arts figures on either side, his gaze fixed solely on Jiang Ning at the far end.

Upon arriving in front of Jiang Ning, Wang Zhi stood there, and everyone looked at him.

Wang Zhi, who had been expressionless, now revealed a smile and bowed slightly to Jiang Ning.

"Wang Zhi, the chief eunuch of the Western Depot and the Imperial Horse Administration, has come on His Majesty's orders to congratulate Master Jiang on taking charge of the Huashan Sect."

Wang Zhi spoke softly, but with the support of his inner strength, everyone could hear him clearly.

The crowd was astonished, their expressions varying.

Jiang Ning's expression calmed down. He nodded to Wang Zhi and asked, "How is the Emperor's health?"

Wang Zhi laughed and said, "Thanks to Master Jiang's help, His Majesty has now fully recovered. I heard that Master Jiang will succeed as the head of the Huashan Sect in the grand ceremony in October, so I specially sent this governor to offer my congratulations."

When Jiang Ning went to the capital to treat Zhu Houzhao last time, he discovered that Zhu Houzhao's body had been poisoned. After so long, Zhu Houzhao has finally recovered from the poison and his body has fully recovered.

Jiang Ning nodded.

The poison wasn't difficult to cure; it just required time to recover, which didn't surprise him.

"In that case, thank you very much, Eunuch Wang, for making a special trip to Mount Hua."

Jiang Ning said politely.

Wang Zhi smiled slightly: "Master Jiang, you are too kind. I am here on His Majesty's orders."

Imperial edict?

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Just then, a eunuch behind Wang Zhi respectfully stepped forward and presented the imperial edict with both hands.

Wang directly took the imperial edict, glancing sideways at the crowd.

After a slight hesitation, everyone knelt down.

Although they disliked the imperial court, no one dared to cause trouble at this moment when Wang Zhi, representing the emperor, was about to announce the imperial decree in public. Didn't they see that Master Chongxu of the Wudang Sect and Yue Buqun, who had just stepped down, were kneeling?

Wang Zhi was slightly satisfied, then looked at Jiang Ning and smiled, "Master Jiang is His Majesty's sworn brother, there's no need for such things."

Jiang Ning still didn't know what Zhu Houzhao was planning, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Wang Zhi had already opened the imperial edict and announced it loudly.

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

I have received the Mandate of Heaven, and since assuming the throne, I have been sleepless day and night, fearing that I will fail to live up to it.

The world is in turmoil, evil forces run rampant, and the treacherous cults and rebels are wreaking havoc on the Ming Dynasty, causing immense suffering and chaos to the nation. I am deeply distressed and indignant.

However, Heaven blessed the Ming Dynasty, sending down heroes to Mount Hua. Among them was the chivalrous Jiang Ning, who possessed divine skills, a chivalrous heart and courage, who vanquished demons and protected the righteous path, saving the world and helping people. He was truly a blessing for the nation and a boon for all living beings.

Its achievements are threefold, as Heaven and Earth can attest!

First, he used his sword to vanquish the demons, beheading their leader Ren Woxing and the demonic cultist Ren Yingying.

Secondly, he subdued the tortoise and snake. Deep in the Qinling Mountains, he subdued the two ferocious beasts, the Xuan Turtle and the Spirit Snake, and transformed their malevolent energy, making them guardian spirit beasts to protect the mountains and rivers of the Ming Dynasty.

Thirdly, he saved the emperor and protected the country. The Five Poisons Cult secretly infiltrated the palace, plotting to assassinate the emperor and plunge the nation into chaos. At the critical moment when the emperor's life hung by a thread, and the survival of the nation was at stake, the chivalrous Jiang Ning single-handedly turned the tide, thwarted the Five Poisons Cult, and saved the emperor from dire straits. His loyalty shines as bright as the sun and moon, and his merit will be remembered for eternity!

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people kneeling down shifted slightly.

Upon hearing the third point, they realized that the Five Poisons Sect had gone to the capital to attempt to assassinate the emperor, but they were also surprised that it was Jiang Ning who saved the emperor.

It's no wonder that when the Huashan Sect issued its proclamation to exterminate the demons, the imperial court also issued an edict to fully support the righteous path in its fight against the demons.

Only then did everyone realize what was happening.

But at this moment, none of them dared to utter a word, and they obediently knelt on the ground to receive the imperial decree.

Wang Zhi continued.

But whether it was just his imagination or not, Wang Zhi, who had been reciting the imperial edict without the slightest pause, seemed to pause for a moment.

At this moment, Wang Zhi's pupils contracted slightly, as if he had seen something unbelievable. He subconsciously glanced at Jiang Ning, his heart filled with shock.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but only for a moment. Wang Zhi suppressed his shock and continued reading the imperial edict.

"I was moved by his sincere heart in protecting the country, and I dreamt of Emperor Taizong Wen that night."

Emperor Taizong decreed:

This child is the reincarnation of the True Martial Emperor of the North Pole, destined to face calamity. He should wield the power to vanquish demons and protect the nation, receiving divine mandate to glorify his virtue!

Everyone was greatly shocked upon hearing this.