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[173rd on the Divine Weapon Ranking — Wushao Sword]
[Wielder: Ximen Chuixue]
[Reason for Ranking: Forged from rare meteorite iron, with a unique and ancient form, dark and elegant, yet shimmering with dazzling sharpness, and chilling cold!]
[Reward: Sword-Shaped Pill (Refines sword intent, purifies inner energy)]
[172nd on the Divine Weapon Ranking — Purple Dawn Sword]
[Wielder: Empress of the Illusionary Sound Pavilion]
[Reason for Ranking: The sword body is blood-red, simple and elegant, yet indestructible. Truly a sharp weapon in the world!]
[Reward: Restorative Pill (Contains a trace of innate qi, which can accelerate the recovery of the seriously injured.)]
[One Hundred and Seventieth on the Divine Weapon Ranking — Xiyi Sword]
[Owner: Yue Buqun]
[Reason for Ranking: A sharp weapon imbued with the demeanor of a gentleman, the heirloom sword of the Mount Hua Sect. The sword body is snow-white and cuts through iron like mud.]
[Reward: Low-Grade Protective Talisman (Can withstand three attacks from a Grandmaster-level expert.)]
In the tavern.
Ximen Chuixue, clad in white, stared at the pill in his hand. His eyes were sharp as he contemplated, saying,
"This is a spirit pill that can temper one's sword intent. I wonder how much it will help me?"
Lu Xiaofeng chuckled softly, taking a sip of his wine. He then sighed, saying,
"Ximen Chuixue! The rewards from the Golden Ranking are extraordinary, even though your Wushao Sword isn't highly ranked."
"But I believe this Sword-Shaped Pill should be of considerable help to you."
Ximen Chuixue remained impassive. His tone was as cold as ever as he replied,
"The Wushao Sword only lost out in terms of material, but in my hands, this sword is still enough to dominate the martial world."
Lu Xiaofeng nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right. It's like Abbot Mie Jue of the Mount Emei Sect. Even though she wields the Heavenly Sword, her strength is far inferior to yours."
Hua Manlou sat quietly by the window, watching the clouds drift by. He was gentle and calm, and he spoke in a soft voice:
"Now that the Divine Weapon Ranking has been revealed, the winds and rains of this world will likely change again!"
"I just hope it doesn't harm too many innocent people."
Sikong Zhaixing, with his sharp-chinned, monkey-like features, drank the wine in his cup and said carelessly:
"I say, you're being too sympathetic!"
"When has someone not died in this Jianghu?"
"The appearance of this Golden Ranking will only intensify the fighting in the martial world."
Lu Xiaofeng shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"The appearance of the Golden Ranking is, in itself, an earth-shattering event."
"Right now, all the major powers are focused on these divine weapons."
"Who wouldn't want to receive the rewards from the Golden Ranking?"
"But the prerequisite is to possess a divine weapon sharp enough to make the list."
Hua Manlou's eyes were deep, and his tone was grave. "It seems that all the major powers will be determined to obtain the divine weapons of the江湖."
"Without sufficient strength, one might only end up being a stepping stone for others!"
"In the Great Ming Dynasty, the most talked-about divine weapon recently is the Heavenly Sword."
Lu Xiaofeng heard this and gently shook his head, saying with a profound meaning:
"The strength of the Mount Emei Sect cannot be underestimated!"
"Dugu Yifang is also a top expert among the Great Grandmasters."
"His cultivation is even subtly above Ximen Chuixue!"
"It is said that he has been at the peak of the Great Grandmaster realm for over ten years."
"Adding the elders of Mount Emei, as well as Abbot Mie Jue herself,"
"Without the strength of a Celestial, don't even think about going to Mount Emei to seize the sword."
Hua Manlou thought for a moment, still a little worried, and sighed softly:
"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow!"
"If someone were to sneak into Mount Emei and not directly confront Dugu Yifang and the elders, I fear Abbot Mie Jue wouldn't be completely safe."
Ximen Chuixue's gaze was calm, his tone as ever, utterly placid, without a ripple, as he said:
"Although Abbot Mie Jue's cultivation is only at the Grandmaster level, with the sharpness of the Heavenly Sword, she has some ability to maneuver even against a Great Grandmaster."
"It's not so easy to just take the sword away."
Even if he were to act personally, it would be impossible for him to defeat Abbot Mie Jue, wielding the Heavenly Sword, in just a few moves.
"I just hope Mount Emei can survive this calamity."
Hua Manlou shook his head and didn't speak further.
Sitting quietly by the window, he calmed down.
Mount Hua Sect.
"A Low-Grade Protective Talisman, huh? Being able to withstand three attacks from a Grandmaster realm expert is indeed a rare treasure," Yue Buqun said, a hint of joy in his eyes.
You must know!
Among the entire Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sects, only Zuo Lengchan was a Great Grandmaster.
And also Master Kumei, who was in closed-door cultivation within Mount Hua, having created the Clear Wind Thirteen Forms.
A Grandmaster-level expert was already quite renowned in the martial world.
Even within many top-tier factions, they could get close to the core leadership.
Especially Yue Buqun, who had cultivated the Purple Mist Skill, his strength had reached the peak of the Grandmaster realm.
Coupled with this Low-Grade Protective Talisman, if he encountered a Great Grandmaster like Zuo Lengchan in the future, he might even be able to contend with him.
"A pity! If only there were pills to increase one's cultivation!"
Yue Buqun shook his head slightly, sighing softly.
He had been at the peak of the Grandmaster realm for many years.
Limited by his aptitude, breaking through to the Great Grandmaster realm was extremely difficult.
If he didn't have a huge stroke of luck, he could only rely on time to slowly wear down the bottleneck.
And that would take at least a dozen years.
Fortunately, Mount Hua had Master Kumei holding down the fort, which had preserved some of its peak vitality.
It was enough to make Zuo Lengchan of the Mount Song Sect wary!
"After all these years of biding our time, we gave the Five Sacred Mountains Alliance's banner to Mount Song. But with Mount Hua secretly recruiting disciples, we've finally regained some of our former glory."
"But if we want to return to our peak, my cultivation must break through to Great Grandmaster."
Yue Buqun's eyes were deep, and his tone was filled with helplessness.
But he truly didn't have much confidence in reaching that level of cultivation!
Thinking back to those days, Mount Hua had once rivaled Wudang and Shaolin.
They had nearly ten Great Grandmasters and over thirty Grandmasters.
With nearly ten thousand disciples, their momentum was immense!
But the Sword Qi Dispute was a disaster for both sides, and Mount Hua Sect plummeted.
Although the Sword Qi faction won, less than one in ten of their high-level experts survived.
As a result, several decades passed quietly.
Mount Hua Sect still hadn't recovered much of its vitality.
"Sigh! If there hadn't been that Sword Qi Dispute back then, how could the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sects let Mount Song Sect flaunt its power now?"
"Even the entire jianghu, the Mount Hua Sect would be able to claim a place!"
"To become a martial arts overlord in the Great Ming Dynasty!"
"The name of the Sacred Sword Ground, is definitely well-deserved!"
"A pity! What a pity!"
Thinking of this, Yue Buqun's eyes were bloodshot. He clenched his large hand tightly, appearing very unwilling, yet powerless to change anything.
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