aircannonsinc Chapter 882 Ranked 2nd in the World!
Chapter 882 Ranked 2nd in the World!
Two days later.
Tianku Mountain.
A streak of earthy yellow light pierced the sky.
One moment it was on the horizon, the next it appeared on the mountaintop.
As the yellow light broke through, a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties slowly descended. He wore a long yellow robe and had a dignified appearance.
"Greetings, Patriarch Xia!" A woman dressed in a purple dress, with a slender waist, long hair reaching her waist, and skin as smooth as jade, bowed upon seeing Xia Xuanyan's appearance.
"Every time I see the cult leader's figure and appearance, I always feel a sense of incongruity."
The woman smiled faintly. The figure of a young girl in her late teens seemed incongruous with the wrinkles on her face, but her voice was as ethereal as a young girl's: "Master Xia's methods are extraordinary and he is eternally young. I do not have such extraordinary methods as Master Xia. I can only barely maintain my physical youth."
"Let's not talk about that!" Xia Xuanyan shook his head, then asked seriously, "Did the sect leader's curse attempt on that Marquis of Dongling fail?"
Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Cry Cult Leader hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Why didn't the sect leader inform us earlier when it was clearly a failure!" Xia Xuanyan frowned, his tone somewhat displeased.
The Heavenly Cry Cult Leader looked apologetic: "I originally wanted to make amends."
Xia Xuanyan glanced at her indifferently, disbelief in his eyes, and then said, "Do you know that he has now entered the realm of the Primordial Spirit Immortal?"
"What?" The Heavenly Cry Sect Master was stunned for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly. "Impossible! At his age, I've never heard of him embarking on the path of immortality before. How could he have reached this level! The Primordial Spirit Immortal is a realm that you and I have just reached!"
"Your information is really too outdated and backward!" Xia Xuanyan said calmly, and continued, "Two days ago in the royal palace of the capital, the Marquis of Dongling, with his Nascent Soul Immortal Realm, fought to a standstill with Princess Xuan, who was his equal. It was only after the Martial Saint intervened that the conflict was eased and the new emperor was chosen."
"That's even more impossible!!" The Heavenly Crying Saint Lord shook his head repeatedly. "What kind of strength does the Parallel King possess? Even if I personally faced him, I would be no match for him. Even if that Marquis of Dongling truly achieved the Nascent Soul Immortal realm as the Xia family head said, what makes him think he can fight the Parallel King Ji Xuan to a standstill?"
"Does the sect leader suspect that I am deceiving you?" Xia Xuanyan said calmly.
"I wouldn't dare!" Sensing Xia Xuanyan's displeasure, the Heavenly Cry Sect Leader quickly lowered his stance.
"The Nascent Soul Immortal realm that Marquis of Dongling achieved is a superior Immortal Foundation, do you understand now?" Xia Xuanyan said.
"A superior immortal foundation?!" The Heavenly Cry Sect Master was stunned, his face showing disbelief.
"With Yin and Yang as the foundation, the sun and moon can soar into the sky, drawing upon the power of the yin and yang. It must be no less than the foundation I have built," Xia Xuan said.
"If what Patriarch Xia said is true, then he is terrifying!" The Heavenly Cry Cult Leader's expression revealed a look of fear.
“Indeed terrifying!” Xia Xuanyan nodded in agreement, and then he added, “Everyone thought he was the greatest martial arts talent in eight hundred years, but no one expected that his talent in immortality was even greater.”
At this point, Xia Xuanyan shook his head and sighed, "What a pity!"
Hearing Xia Xuanyan's sigh, the Heavenly Crying Cult Leader remained silent, still processing the information Xia Xuanyan had just revealed.
With Yin and Yang as the foundation, he achieved a superior immortal foundation. No wonder he possesses such strength!
"Patriarch Xia, what are your plans for dealing with him next? With his current achievements, he is no longer afraid of the Heavenly Cry Sect's curse techniques at the superior immortal foundation level."
“The achievements of that Marquis of Dongling are always unexpected. His current accomplishments are beyond my control. Find an opportunity to kill him directly and prevent him from advancing any further!” Xia Xuanyan said.
Then he continued, "With his current achievements, whether he advances further in the path of immortality or in the path of martial arts, he will be an existence that we cannot match."
"In my heart, I didn't really think he could reach the level of that Martial Saint. After all, in more than eight hundred years, there has only been one such special existence, the Martial Saint. No matter how talented or brilliant the later ones are, the gap between them and him is as vast as heaven and earth."
"The gap between ordinary martial artists and the martial saint is too great; they simply cannot comprehend the state of that martial saint."
"But he's so different! He always surprises people!"
"And most importantly, he cultivates both immortal and martial arts simultaneously. If he reaches a level comparable to a Martial Saint in martial arts, that would be terrifying! It wouldn't be eight hundred years anymore, but several thousand years or even longer!!"
"You should know..." Ji Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he said this, "The environment of heaven and earth is constantly recovering, the ten domains are about to merge, and the true golden age is about to arrive!"
Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Cry Cult Leader nodded repeatedly, indicating his agreement.
Then she asked, "Patriarch Xia, when will be the opportunity?"
Xia Xuanyan looked into the distance, towards the direction of the capital.
"Wait until he reaches the end of his life!"
"Then... how much longer?" asked the Heavenly Cry Cult Leader.
"It's almost over!" Xia Xuanyan nodded. "His lifespan is about to come to an end."
"As an apology, next time you need to make a move, just let me know!" said the Heavenly Cry Cult Leader.
"Mm." Xia Xuanyan nodded.
"Patriarch Xia, I believe we should now investigate the true strength of that Marquis of Dongling to prevent such a thing from happening again!" The Heavenly Cry Cult Master offered another suggestion.
“I understand!” Xia Xuanyan nodded and continued, “Throughout the world, whether it is our immortal grotto heavens that are barely surviving or the sects that have stood strong for thousands of years, no one wants to see another powerful figure comparable to that Martial Saint emerge out of nowhere.”
"It is inconvenient for us immortals in our blessed lands to take action. Once our true forms leave our blessed lands, we will face the thunderous strike of that Martial Saint."
"However, the likes of Vajra Temple and Qingxu Temple were not mentioned in the Martial Saint's warning. I believe they were also unwilling to sit idly by and watch that Marquis of Dongling continue to grow stronger."
"Furthermore, they are ranked second in the world alongside Ji Xuan, and they probably want to test their skills against this younger generation!"
As he continued, Xia Xuan's tone became increasingly confident.
The Heavenly Cry Cult Leader's gaze also subtly changed.
"The title of second in the world is indeed very interesting! After all, no one in the world can shake the title of first."
“That makes sense!” Xia Xuanyan nodded, looking thoughtful, and then said, “Next, I will send someone to re-rank the second-best in the world. Marquis Dongling, who fought Ji Xuan to a standstill, should be included in the second-best in the world. Now, we will add one more person to the second-best list, making it six people tied for second place.”
"Master Xia, what a brilliant move!" the Heavenly Cry Sect Master praised. "In this way, the one from Vajra Temple and the one from Qingxu Temple will have sufficient reason to judge this junior, Marquis Dongling!"
Xia Xuanyan nodded.
"Patriarch Xia..." The Heavenly Cry Cult Leader suddenly hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"Speak plainly!" Xia Xuanyan said.
"Why is Patriarch Xia targeting that Marquis of Dongling so much? Is there some grudge or conflict between them?" the Heavenly Cry Cult Leader asked.
"No!" Xia Xuanyan shook his head lightly.
"That is...why?" the Heavenly Cry Cult Leader asked.
“That Marquis of Dongling is very clever, not a fool. I set up some schemes to trap him, intending to have him marry into my Xuanhuang Grotto-heaven and my Xia family. Although I was cautious in my actions, that Marquis of Dongling may not have been unaware of it!” Xia Xuanyan said.
He then continued, "Once he finds out that those things originated from me, and if he reaches the level of that Martial Saint and settles scores with me, even with the resources of the Xuanhuang Cave Heaven, he will find it troublesome!"
"So that's how it is!" said the Heavenly Cry Cult Leader, a slight change flashing in his eyes.
……
King's capital.
The residence of the Marquis of Dongling.
"Tomorrow?" Jiang Ning looked at the imperial edict stamped with the seal in his hand, then nodded.
The imperial edict specified the date of the new emperor's coronation and the date of his wedding.
The auspicious day recorded on it is tomorrow.
"My lord, I will return to report now!" the guard said respectfully to Jiang Ning, his posture very humble.
Two days have passed since that incident.
Every citizen in the capital knows that the capital has changed dramatically.
A few days ago, Prince Ji Xuan, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the emperor, controlled the court and served as regent. His word was law, and no one dared to disobey him. Now, the new emperor is the eighth prince, who is about to ascend the throne and succeed to the throne.
Everyone in the capital knows that the new emperor's younger sister has a close relationship with the Marquis of Dongling.
With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, the Marquis of Dongling's status will surely rise, and he will achieve great success.
Those important figures who truly understood the palace upheaval two days prior were even more aware of why the previously overlooked Eighth Prince was able to succeed to the throne and become the new ruler of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Ninety percent of the credit goes to the Marquis of Dongling, whose name was already famous throughout the land.
Two days ago, at a crucial moment, the Marquis of Dongling appeared like a god descending from the heavens, turning the tide and appointing Ji Minghao as the new ruler.
In order to install the Eighth Prince Ji Minghao as the new ruler, he even fought a fierce battle with Ji Xuan, who was known as the second strongest prince in the world. In the end, however, he did not lose and they were evenly matched.
The rumor that he is now the second most powerful man in the world, and that he is revered by six others, has spread throughout the capital and is gaining increasing acceptance.
With the departure of the inner guard, Jiang Ning also turned around and recovered.
“Young Master!” Green Ripple stood to the side.
"Remember to remind me tomorrow!" Jiang Ning casually handed the imperial edict bearing the red seal to Lü Yi.
"Yes, young master!" Green Ripple quickly put away the imperial edict.
"By the way, did Little Seventeen go back yesterday?" Jiang Ning had just lifted his leg when he stopped and asked.
“The seventeenth princess left yesterday,” said Lüyi.
"Has any news come back today?" Jiang Ning asked again.
"Not yet today. I guess the Seventeenth Princess is dressed up and preparing for tomorrow's coronation ceremony! Tomorrow is, after all, the coronation ceremony for the new emperor and the wedding banquet where the new emperor marries General Shen Xiao's youngest daughter as empress," said Lü Yi.
Jiang Ning nodded and returned to the courtyard of his residence, arriving at the foot of the ancient pine tree.
At this moment, the ancient pines provide shade, and the lake in front is a vast expanse of clear blue water, rippling gently. The water is so clear that you can see the rainbow reflected in the lake, creating a rainbow of colors, and you can also see an old turtle lying on its back, basking in the sun.
A gentle breeze rippled across the lake, casting shimmering golden light on the shade of the ancient pines.
Feeling the gentle breeze blowing in his face, Jiang Ning pondered.
He hasn't stepped out of the door these past two days.
But after achieving the status of a Primordial Spirit Immortal, one's perception becomes incredibly vast.
With a mere sweep of his mind, almost everything in the entire capital, big or small, would appear in his mind.
Only a few places and buildings could shield him from his insight.
There were no other secrets left in his mind.
Therefore, he was naturally aware of the information that had been spreading throughout the capital over the past two days.
He was ranked second in the world, one of six people tied for the top spot.
And the reasoning is quite convincing.
That is, news of his fight with Ji Xuan has already spread, and it is spreading wider and wider, becoming more and more outrageous.
In some versions of the story, he is portrayed as a divine being who descended from the heavens, forcefully suppressing his fellow prince Ji Xuan and single-handedly helping Ji Minghao ascend the throne.
Many people compare him to the Martial Saint, saying that he will most likely become the second Martial Saint in the thirty-six prefectures of the Great Xia Nine Provinces.
He also knew that all these rumors were being spread by someone in the shadows.
Put him in the spotlight, put him on the hot seat.
He also knew that this was not something done by one force, but rather that various forces were involved.
It includes considerable royal power, as well as power originating from the Martial Saint's Mansion.
Jiang Ning composed himself, his expression calm.
The tree wants to be calm and the wind does not stop.
He had anticipated this situation after actively participating in the struggle for the throne two days prior.
But now, the situation is much better than he had anticipated.
The Martial Saint took the initiative to intervene and showed favoritism towards him, giving him more time to calmly deal with these matters.
Achieving the status of a Primordial Spirit Immortal brought him more than just an increase in strength and methods.
It is also a growth of the divine, as well as an increase in the speed of thought and the level of understanding.
In just two days, he gained a profound understanding of these changes.
[Divine Power]: 7611/8788
The changes brought about in just two days were remarkable, no less than the results achieved in the previous ten days.
With his current efficiency, achieving the Great Perfection of the Unity Realm is within his grasp.
At most, he can reach the Great Perfection of the Unity Realm by tomorrow.
Then, his gaze shifted downwards.
[Skill]: Taixu Yin Yang Sword (Perfect 95655/100000)
His gaze then fell on the skills category.
The experience points gained by the Taixu Yin Yang Sword were the result of his staying indoors for the past two days.
After achieving the realm of a Primordial Spirit Immortal, his thinking and his comprehension grew to a terrifying level.
That is comparable to immortals in terms of realm.
To comprehend the Yin-Yang Sword of the Void from the perspective of an immortal.
That's no longer the kind of skill that used to be like water-milling.
That was an efficiency far exceeding anything seen before.
The reason he has spent the last two days working on the Taixu Yin Yang Sword is because of what the woman from the Moon Palace said to him.
His understanding of the moon and the sun is not yet deep enough.
If one gains a deeper understanding, one can absorb the essence of the Yin and Yang into one's body and further refine one's primordial spirit, thus elevating one's foundation to a higher level.
These words alone led him to set his sights on the Taixu Yin Yang Sword.
This sword technique uses the sword to enter the Dao, which refers to space and yin and yang.
He believed that as his understanding of the universe deepened with each breakthrough in his spiritual realm, his comprehension of the Yin and Yang would become even more profound.
Sooner or later, one will reach the state described by the woman in the Moon Palace, absorbing the essence of the Yin and Yang into the body, further refining the primordial spirit, and elevating the immortal foundation to a higher level.
This is about enhancing his foundation.
Moreover, the Taixu Yin Yang Sword technique is currently the highest-grade technique he possesses.
Breakthroughs in this technique will undoubtedly help him further improve his strength.
He could imagine the undercurrents swirling within the capital city itself.
As news of his battle with Ji Xuan spreads, the world will surely become even more lively.
The only way to deal with these potential crises is through increased strength. (End of Chapter)