harleyscars Page 81
Page 81
However, the Tang Dynasty was the strongest dynasty in the Nine Provinces before the Spring and Autumn Period, and countless foreign countries came to pay homage every year.
Even after the wars of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Tang Dynasty was still able to stand alongside Beimang, Liyang, and Qin as one of the four great dynasties.
With such a powerful empress, one can imagine how high Wu Zetian's prestige was in her time.
It is no exaggeration to say that even if Emperor Xiao Ruojin of Beili were here, he would have to show her some respect.
No one expected that the esteemed Empress Wu Zetian would personally visit the Dengtian Pavilion.
Inside the first private room on the east side of the fifteenth floor.
Looking into the distance, Fusu sighed, "The influence of the Celestial Immortal is growing stronger; even the Empress of the Tang Dynasty has come in person."
"Because last time, the Celestial Immortal revealed that Li Xingyun was a descendant of the Li Tang royal family."
"It is said that when this news reached back to the Tang Dynasty, it caused a great stir."
"Many senior officials in the court advocated welcoming back Li Xingyun and returning the throne to the descendants of the Li Tang dynasty."
"Empress Wu Zetian must have panicked a bit, which is why she came to the Celestial Mystery Immortal for help."
Zhang Han analyzed it carefully.
Upon hearing this, Fusu couldn't help but recall the Qin Dynasty's failed pursuit of Liu Bang, and sighed softly.
Just as he was about to speak, a sudden exclamation drowned out the entire room:
"The Celestial Immortal has emerged!"
Upon hearing this, everyone who had been staring at Wu Zetian turned their heads and looked up.
Su Chen descended from the sky, his white sleeves fluttering in the wind, the Dragon Slayer Sword hanging at his waist. His extraordinary temperament made him seem like a sword immortal descending to earth.
Even Wu Zetian was slightly taken aback when she saw him, and said softly, "I never thought there would be such an extraordinary person in the world."
As they entered the private room, Su Chen had already settled firmly on the white jade platform.
He took a sip of tea, and the grand opening of the "Heavenly Secrets and Monthly Commentary" officially began.
Su Chen smiled, his gaze sweeping across the room, and said in a calm tone:
"In the last Heavenly Secrets Monthly Review, I revealed the list of the most outstanding swordsmen in Beili and the list of the greatest sword immortals in the Ming Dynasty."
"This time, I will be announcing the Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking and the Nine Provinces Blade Immortal Ranking."
"Let's start with the Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking."
"I once calculated the secrets of heaven for the Snow Moon Sword Immortal Li Hanyi, and found out that there are more than a dozen land-based sword immortals in this world."
"Currently, three have been made public: Li Changsheng, the Kunlun Sword Immortal of Beili; Lang Fanyun, the Fuyu Sword of the Ming Dynasty; and Dugu Qiubai of the Song Dynasty."
"Of these three, Lang Fanyun and Dugu Qiubai are not in the top ten."
"Only Kunlun Sword Immortal Li Changsheng, with the realm of a Great Perfection of a Land Immortal, barely squeezed into the top ten."
"To be precise, Li Changsheng is ranked tenth on the Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking."
"Since there are only a dozen or so land-based sword immortals in the world, I, Su, will not be limited to ten. This time, I will reveal them all."
As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, the hall erupted in excitement.
Everyone looked on incredulously.
As everyone knows, there are more than a dozen swordsmen in the world who have reached the realm of terrestrial immortals, but no one expected that Li Changsheng could only rank tenth on the Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking.
It's understandable that Lang Fanyun and Dugu Qiubai aren't in the top ten, but Li Changsheng is a cultivator who has lived for over two hundred years and whose cultivation has reached the pinnacle of terrestrial immortals.
If such a master is only ranked tenth, how powerful must the top ten sword immortals be?
Those who originally held the Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking in awe now held it in even greater reverence.
Upon hearing Su Chen's next words, everyone became even more excited.
Su Chen is actually going to reveal the names of all the land-based sword immortals, not just the top ten!
This is undoubtedly exciting news.
The swordsmen, in particular, were extremely excited and began to discuss among themselves:
"My God! There are so many powerful swordsmen in this world?"
"I used to think that Ximen Chuixue, Xie Xiaofeng and others were the pinnacle of swordsmanship, but today I realize how ignorant I was."
"Now I understand why a genius like Lang Fanyun didn't make it into the top ten. It turns out that the top ten sword immortals are all monsters."
"That's terrifying! Even Li Changsheng, who's ranked tenth, has the cultivation of a Great Perfection of a Land Immortal. Doesn't that mean the top nine are even more frightening?"
"This trip to Snowmoon City was truly worthwhile. Please, Celestial Mystery Immortal, reveal the rankings as soon as possible."
Inside the fifth private room on the east side of the fourteenth floor.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng was startled and shook his head with a wry smile: "The Celestial Immortal is still the same as ever, never stopping until he utters a shocking statement. Kunlun Sword Immortal Li Changsheng is ranked tenth, then how many terrestrial swordsmen in the world are there?"
Ximen Chuixue, Xie Xiaofeng, and Yan Shisan, who were sitting in the same private room, all nodded in agreement.
This should have been a mythical realm.
But now they feel that this realm is so real, and the quantity may even far exceed their imagination.
"I thought that I had reached the pinnacle by ascending to the top with the Fifteen Deadly Swords, but now it seems that I was just looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."
Yan Shisan chuckled self-deprecatingly.
After defeating Xie Xiaofeng, he became famous throughout the martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty.
After his obsession dissipated, he quickly recovered from his demonic state and further mastered the Fifteen Deadly Swords.
But this small achievement vanished after hearing Su Chen's words.
Before a swordsman at the Celestial Realm on Earth, even if he breaks through to the Divine Realm, he is nothing more than an ant.
Inside the third private room on the east side of the thirteenth floor.
"I never imagined that the swordsmanship of Kyushu would be so prosperous. I underestimated the world."
A middle-aged man spoke slowly in a deep voice; he was none other than Nameless, who had come from the martial arts world of the Han Dynasty.
After being defeated by Su Chen's sword, he remained unconscious for seven days before waking up, and then recuperated for another seven days before being able to get out of bed.
Upon learning of Su Chen's words, he did not hesitate and immediately headed to Snow Moon City.
He originally didn't care about the Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking, but now his thoughts have completely changed.
This list of sword immortals far exceeded his expectations.
He was known as the Heavenly Sword, and naturally harbored ambitions to contend for supremacy. At this moment, his expression had become solemn.
Dugu Qiubai, standing beside him, was so excited he almost shouted out loud, feeling increasingly regretful that he was born at the wrong time.
If I had met the Celestial Immortal earlier, why would I have sat in the Sword Tomb for sixty years?
Su Chen, quite satisfied with the reactions of the audience, took another sip of tea and slowly said:
"Next, the Nine Provinces Sword Immortal Ranking will be officially unveiled."
"Of the eight million swordsmen in the world, only sixteen have reached the realm of terrestrial immortals."
"Sixteenth place, Dugu Qiubai."
"Fifteenth place, Lang Fanyun."
"I've already commented on these two before, so I won't go into details."
"Start directly from fourteenth place."
"This man is named Sui Xiegu. He was originally from Western Chu. He was exceptionally gifted and mastered a unique sword-swallowing technique."
"He can swallow the sword directly and convert its energy into his own, storing it in his dantian."
"Now over a hundred years old, he has swallowed thousands of swords in his lifetime, each one a rare and powerful weapon in the martial arts world."
"Therefore, he also had another title, the Sword-Eating Ancestor."
After the fall of the Western Chu Kingdom, Sui Xiegu became a figure in the Jianghu of Liyang, but few people knew his name.
The reason is that Sui Xiegu has always been indifferent to fame and fortune and did not want to become famous.
But he has two apprentices, whom everyone must have heard of.
His eldest disciple was none other than Su Sheng, the greatest swordsman of Western Shu in those days, known as the Sword Emperor. When Western Shu was engulfed in war, he single-handedly defended the city gates with his sword.
Even the elite Beiliang cavalry was held off for a full half hour, suffering more than three thousand casualties.
Su Sheng also paid a heavy price, being pierced through the heart by countless arrows and his body trampled into a bloody pulp by the Beiliang cavalry.
He was thus hailed by later generations as the greatest righteous man of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Chapter 51 Hidden Master
In particular, his famous saying, "The emperor and his subjects die at the gates of the country, and the swordsman dies in the martial world," is widely circulated in the martial world.
For ten years during the Spring and Autumn Period, there were no just wars, and many righteous men sang tragic songs of heroism. Su Sheng, the Sword Emperor of Western Shu, was a representative figure among them.
Sui Xiegu's other disciple had an even more famous name: Jian Jiuhuang!
It is well known in the martial arts world of Liyang that two peerless swordsmen emerged after Li Chungang.
One is Deng Tai'a, the Peach Blossom Sword God, and the other is Jian Jiu Huang.
But few people know that Jian Jiuhuang was not a member of the martial arts world before, but just a blacksmith.
However, he was extremely talented, and with thirty years of experience in blacksmithing and sword forging, he actually comprehended a powerful sword intent on his own.
This sword intent, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, attracted Sui Xiegu's attention. He thought it was from some reclusive great sword immortal.
It turned out that he was a blacksmith with no martial arts skills whatsoever, which greatly surprised Sui Xiegu.
The two thus formed an indissoluble bond.
Inside the Dengtian Pavilion, all was silent.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it.
Dugu Qiubai and Lang Fanyun, these two land-based sword immortals were already famous throughout the martial arts world.
Everyone who has heard their stories is filled with admiration for their talent and swordsmanship.