Chapter 121: Battle for the World's Number One

Chapter 121: Battle for the World's Number One

An Hao’s

Taicang Frightening God Sword Intent

shook the entire

Taixuan Sect

, sparking countless discussions among the disciples. The overwhelming sword intent persisted for several hours before finally dissipating. In the following days, rumors spread wildly, but one thing was certain—the immense pressure had come from a sword intent. As a result, more and more sword cultivators gathered at

Heavenly Mending Platform

.

Gu An’s days, however, were peaceful. He frequently traveled between the three

Medicine Valleys

, occasionally visited

Xuantian Cave Dwelling

at night, and spent the rest of his time simply enjoying life.

In the blink of an eye, nearly half a year had passed.

Gu An turned sixty-two years old.

By now, news of the

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

slaying the demonic leader of the

Nightshade Sect

had finally spread throughout the cultivation world. Every time Gu An ventured into the Outer Sect, he would overhear discussions about it. The

Sword Sovereign

had already gained a reputation as the greatest sword cultivator in the

Taicang Empire

.

Some even claimed he was the number one swordsman in the world!

That noon, Gu An stood at the edge of

Heavenly Mending Platform

, gazing at the towering hundred-foot stone statue ahead, feeling quite content.

The statue was a divine monument of the

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

, depicting Gu An in his

Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body

stance. His entire form radiated sculpted demonic energy, exuding an awe-inspiring presence. One hand pointed diagonally, while the other gripped a sword—a domineering posture.

At this moment, Gu An was not the only one admiring the statue. More than a dozen other disciples stood nearby, gazing up at it while engaged in discussion.

Listening to their words of admiration, Gu An felt even more pleased.

Who wouldn’t want their name to be known across the world?

Gu An certainly did, but he had always kept a low profile to conceal his

lifespan-stealing

ability. However, being able to dominate the world under another identity satisfied his vanity just as well.

Suddenly, a voice broke the moment.

“The

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

is undoubtedly the greatest swordsman of the

Taicang Empire

, but that doesn’t mean he’s the greatest in the world!”

The statement immediately drew everyone’s attention, including Gu An’s.

The speaker was a young man in blue robes, holding a folding fan. He was handsome and elegant, his expression calm—as if the outrageous words just now hadn’t come from his own mouth.

A burly Inner Sect disciple turned to face him and said in a deep voice, “Oh? Then why don’t you tell us who

is

the world’s greatest sword cultivator?”

By now, the

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

was a source of pride for every

Taixuan Sect

disciple. No one would allow his name to be questioned.

The blue-robed man smiled faintly and answered, “In the far west, within

Tianwei

, there is a swordsman known as the

Heavenly Sword Daoist

. Seven hundred years ago, he was

Tianwei’s

number one sword cultivator. Later, he secluded himself in the mountains to focus on sword comprehension. Recently, an immense sword intent erupted in

Tianwei

, proving that he is still alive. If the

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

hadn’t acted so quickly, the one to destroy the

Nightshade Sect

might have been this elder instead.”

Tianwei

, one of the

Nine Dynasties

, lay in the farthest west. It was constantly plagued by demons and monsters, yet its vast territory surpassed even

Taicang

, proving its formidable national strength.

Gu An narrowed his eyes, sensing that this man was hiding his true cultivation. On the surface, he appeared to be at the

Core Formation Stage

, but in reality, he had already reached the

Transformation Stage

.

Out of curiosity, Gu An used his

lifespan probe

.

【Si Zhe (

Transformation Stage

, Second Level): 289/800/1300】

A hidden expert, openly boasting about

Tianwei

cultivators—this guy was definitely not a

Taixuan Sect

disciple.

Gu An remained silent, simply watching as the surrounding disciples verbally attacked

Si Zhe

.

But

Si Zhe

remained calm. Even in the face of curses and insults, his composure did not waver.

Just then, a powerful voice interrupted.

"

Heavenly Sword Daoist

was indeed a mighty figure, once famous across the world. But that’s ancient history. And you—a

Tianwei

royal with

Fire God Bloodline

—daring to speak so arrogantly in

Taixuan Sect

, are you trying to provoke a war?”

All eyes turned toward the speaker—

Han Ming, the Sword Maniac of Da Yu

, striding forward.

Si Zhe

turned and cupped his hands. “Ah, so it’s

Sword Maniac

himself. I’ve heard that you’ve been in

Taixuan Sect

for years. Are you planning to join the sect?”

He smiled politely, but his words carried an unmistakable sense of provocation.

"Hmph, brat, if not for the favor I owe your emperor father, you’d already be a corpse. Do you really think your

Transformation Stage

cultivation can withstand my sword?"

Han Ming

snorted coldly.

Transformation Stage!

Upon hearing this, the disciples who had been insulting

Si Zhe

paled and instinctively stepped back.

“Well then, I won’t keep pretending.”

Si Zhe

chuckled, then swept his gaze around before channeling his energy and declaring loudly,

“I am

Si Zhe

, prince of

Tianwei

and disciple of the

Heavenly Sword Daoist

! Today, I challenge on behalf of my master! Three months from now, my master will personally descend upon

Heavenly Mending Platform

to exchange sword techniques with the

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

!”

His voice echoed through the sky, reaching every corner of the city.

A challenge against the

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

?

Han Ming

merely laughed. He had been the first to challenge the

Sword Sovereign

. He smirked and asked, “The

Nightshade Sect

had experts beyond the

Integration Stage

. Does your master possess such cultivation?”

Si Zhe

closed his fan and sneered, “Of course. My father originally intended to invite him to destroy the

Nightshade Sect

, but unfortunately, he was a step too late.”

His arrogant tone, as if the

Heavenly Sword Daoist

was certain to defeat the

Sword Sovereign

, made the

Taixuan Sect

disciples even angrier.

At that moment, an elder appeared beside

Si Zhe

and whispered something through a

Sound Transmission Technique

.

Si Zhe’s

expression shifted slightly before he scoffed, “Let’s go. I’ve already delivered my message—whether the challenge is accepted or not is up to the

Sword Sovereign

.”

With that, he turned and left with the elder.

Gu An watched him depart, feeling a growing sense of caution.

The

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

had just crushed the

Nightshade Sect’s

schemes, and now, someone dared to challenge him. This opponent was likely no weakling.

Still, Gu An didn’t dwell on it for long. He turned away from

Heavenly Mending Platform

, heading off to check on

Wu Jue

.

A month ago,

Wu Jue’s

maximum lifespan had increased again, making Gu An even more intrigued. How much further could his lifespan extend?

—

At dusk,

Li Ya

, carrying the

Northern Sea Heavy Sword

, arrived at the edge of

Heavenly Mending Platform

. Staring up at the statue of the

Sword Sovereign

, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Ancestor… our

Li Family’s

founder really is the

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path

!”

His ancestor’s voice in his mind was equally shocked. “I always thought he was…”

“What? A demon from

Thousand Autumn Pavilion

?”

“…Yes.”

“Haha! I knew it! Our ancestor could never have been a demonic cultivator!”

Meanwhile, not far away,

Wu Jue

stood in silent contemplation, gazing at the statue with sorrowful eyes.

“Master… you always revered the

Sword Sovereign

. If only you were here to witness the coming battle.”