Chapter 145: "You Will Never Be the First Sword Cultivator of Daxia."

Chapter 145: "You Will Never Be the First Sword Cultivator of Daxia."

And not only that, but it was more than he had expected for his tenth life.

"However, this time, it's finally happened."

After a long while, Chen Qiu gazed into the distance from the peak of the mountain, and suddenly, a faint smile appeared on his face.

Although there were some mishaps along the way, the outcome was good. The Heavenly Dao version of the Great War was about to descend upon the world in half a year. This version was a major one, not only affecting the Great Xia Kingdom's cage but also the entire Xuantian Continent.

And with this version, countless slaughter and opportunities would arise.

The term "Self-Abolition and Rebirth" could only be used nine times, and he had finally succeeded on his tenth try. With his current strength and means, as long as he broke through to the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion, he would be able to shatter the Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator puppet without any issues. This way, he could create a small hole in the Daxia cage and officially enter the Xuantian Continent. At the same time, there were still many secret treasures within the continent, such as the Endless Snow Mountain, which he could return for later when his cultivation level was higher.

The Daxia cage would not completely shatter; it would only have a small hole cut out for him to pass through. Daxia would still not be officially connected to the Xuantian Continent. To fully connect with the continent, one would need to destroy the four forbidden grounds, which was not something a Nascent Soul cultivator could do.

This also meant that Daxia could serve as a safe haven for him, a place to hide if he encountered danger outside.

After a long while, Chen Qiu slowly stood up and brushed off the dust from his clothes. Since he had already regained his memory, he decided to seize the opportunities that had been left for him in advance and then prepare to leave the Daxia prison.

In the capital city, Fat Dragon, who was following behind Chen Qiu, looked around in confusion, "Brother Qiu, why are we suddenly in the capital?"

Chen Qiu gave a faint smile but did not speak, instead, he walked at the forefront, leaning on the Heavenly Clue Umbrella.

"Brother Qiu, we can't go any further; ahead is the Great Xia Imperial Palace." Fat Dragon's expression turned serious as he looked towards the Imperial Guards who were already approaching them from a distance.

Not far away, at dusk, the imperial palace stood solemn and majestic, like a frozen historical painting, silently conveying the dignity and majesty of the imperial power.

Just standing here and gazing at it was enough to be shaken by the majestic architectural complex.

Every brick and tile bore the weight and depth of hundreds of years of Great Xia history.

Under the palace eaves, intricately carved dragon and phoenix patterns were clearly visible in the twilight, making it hard to speak loudly.

Every gate of the palace was tightly closed, as if guarding the royal secrets and dignity.

Hundreds of Imperial Guards in armor, their faces cold, already held sharp blades and slowly surrounded them. They had clearly regarded them as unwelcome guests, and if they found anything suspicious during the inspection, they would kill them on the spot without reporting it.

The next moment—

"Boom!!!"

Chen Qiu's cultivation at the eighth level of the Golden Core stage surged forth without restraint, and his vast spirit sense instantly enveloped the entire capital city. Such audacity within the capital was almost like having the words 'rebellion' engraved on his forehead.

"How dare you!"

Accompanying several furious roars, two old men at the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion level exuded even more powerful cultivation bases as they shot out from the palace, slamming heavily into the green bricks not far from Chen Qiu. They glared at him and shouted, "Who dares to be so reckless in the capital!"

"Awesome."

Fat Dragon, who had not understood what was happening, immediately realized the situation. Expressionless, he took out a yellow robe from his embrace and draped it over Chen Qiu's shoulders, "Brother Qiu, it's getting cold. Here's an extra layer of clothing for you."

"So that's why we suddenly came to the capital. Brother Qiu is planning to become an emperor."

"You should've told me earlier."

The scholar standing behind him twitched his lips slightly and looked up at the two powerful cultivators at the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion level, starting to ponder whether he could break their defense with his full-strength attack.

You should've told me we were coming to fight. He should've at least replenished his spirit energy beforehand.

Chen Qiu casually glanced at the two old men at the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion level, but he didn't speak. Instead, as his spirit energy continuously surged forth, dark clouds instantly enveloped the entire capital city, and the raging storm and rain ceased in the blink of an eye.

Hundreds of thousands of thunder dragons roared in the deafening thunder, carrying an extremely terrifying pressure as they continued to rage and howl within the thunderclouds.

Leaning on his staff, Chen Qiu allowed his clothes to flutter in the storm and rain, slowly making his way along the bluestone path towards the palace gates of the Great Xia Imperial Palace, completely ignoring the two old men at the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion level.

As he approached the palace gates, they naturally opened.

Inside the palace, hundreds of palace maids and eunuchs looked at Chen Qiu, the unwelcome guest, with a hint of bewilderment. Chen Qiu did not stop, maintaining a steady pace as he walked forward.

Until Chen Qiu's figure disappeared into the palace.

The two old men at the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion level finally breathed a sigh of relief, their faces alternating between gloom and cheer. Their foreheads were already covered in sweat, and during the previous confrontation, Chen Qiu's spirit sense had locked onto both of them.

They couldn't break free.

An inexplicable premonition told them that if they dared to make a move, they would die here.

And so, as the strongest in Great Xia, they could only watch helplessly as Chen Qiu boldly entered the forbidden grounds of the Great Xia Imperial Palace, not even having the courage to voice their objections.

"He's clearly only at the eighth level of the Golden Core stage, why does he give me such a strong sense of oppression?" One of the old men said, his expression fluctuating as he looked at Chen Qiu's departing figure.

The other old man also shook his head in dejection, "A Golden Core at the eighth level achieved through accumulated lifespan is fundamentally different from a Celestial Talent at the eighth level of the Golden Core stage."

"Even at the first level of the Golden Core stage, Chen Qiu could crush countless Celestial Talents."

"After not seeing him for over twenty days, he has already reached the eighth level of the Golden Core stage. It's normal for him to cross a level and crush us. No matter what his purpose is for entering the palace, it has nothing to do with us. We have done our best."

As Chen Qiu ventured deeper, numerous Imperial Guards in armor and holding sharp blades had already surrounded them in layers. Additionally, eight old men at the Golden Core Peak level stood on the palace roof, their expressions stern as they looked down at Chen Qiu, who stood in the storm and rain with his Heavenly Clue Umbrella.

No one dared to make a move.

If the world were to know that eight of the strongest cultivators at the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion Stage were unable to act against a younger cultivator at the Eighth Level Golden Core Realm, they would surely be laughed at by all under heaven.

But they truly dared not.

Chen Qiu's spirit sense tightly locked onto them, and the tens of thousands of thunder dragons carrying an extremely terrifying pressure hovered in the dark clouds above the capital like playful water, ready to strike at any moment!

They were well aware of the might of those thunder dragons, and they knew that if they were to fall on any of them, they would surely die.

As Chen Qiu walked to the center of a square deep inside the palace, he stopped and quietly stood there, holding the Heavenly Clue Umbrella in the midst of the raging storm, gazing down at the large square bricks beneath his feet, his expression gradually becoming dazed as if lost in thought.

The Daxia Imperial Palace was very familiar to him.

He had lived here for many years, and every tile and brick here was well-known to him.

"Chen Qiu!"

Just at this moment—

The Seventh Prince, dressed in luxurious robes, followed by a group of guards, strode through the Imperial Guard and stopped in the center of the square. Standing at a distance, he glared at Chen Qiu and shouted, "I ask you, are you planning a rebellion?!"

Just twenty days ago, he had considered Chen Qiu to be his greatest rival in life, even fantasizing about being both enemies and friends, growing together and standing at the pinnacle of the world.

But in just twenty days, Chen Qiu's cultivation had reached the Eighth Level Golden Core Realm. Twenty days ago, Chen Qiu had been at the First Level Golden Core, while he had been at the Second Level Golden Core. Now, after twenty days, he was still at the Second Level Golden Core, without any progress.

"Hmm?"

Although the square was surrounded by many people, no one spoke, allowing Chen Qiu to quietly reminisce about the past. The Seventh Prince's sudden question snapped Chen Qiu out of his memories.

He turned to look at the displeased Seventh Prince, standing in the raging storm with the Heavenly Clue Umbrella in hand, and smiled lightly, "If so, what then?"

As his memories returned, he recalled many things. For example, he had once held the Seventh Prince when he was a child, and when the prince sneaked out of the palace to find a prostitute, it was Chen Qiu who took him and found the fattest and plumpest one, telling the prince that as a sword cultivator, he should fear nothing.

The Seventh Prince had always loved sword cultivation since childhood.

"If so..."

The Seventh Prince, with a sullen expression, remained silent for a long time before continuing, "All eight of the Xia Family's Great Venerables are here, but they don't dare to act. Do they think they can't defeat you?"

He could only sense that Chen Qiu was very strong, but he couldn't gauge the extent of his strength.

However, judging by the Great Venerables' demeanor, he could guess that they were no match for Chen Qiu.

"Well..."

Chen Qiu smiled and glanced at the eight Great Venerables standing on the eaves, "Why don't you order them to make a move and test it out?"

". . ."

The Seventh Prince lowered his head to look at the sword in his hand, then raised his head to look at Chen Qiu, "If you become the emperor, can you spare the Emperor?"

"I can. Do you want to kill the Crown Prince?"

Chen Qiu asked with a smile.

"If possible, don't kill him."

"Do you want to kill the Second Prince?"

"If possible, don't kill him either."

"What about the Third Prince?"

"It's better not to kill."

Chen Qiu shook his head seriously, "That's too troublesome. Why not kill them all? What do you think?"

". . ."

The Seventh Prince took a deep breath, slowly removed his long robe, revealing only the white undershirt underneath. He retracted his bodyguard spirit energy and held the sword diagonally, allowing the raging storm to batter his body. With his eyes closed, he stood in the rain and muttered.

"When I was young, the National Teacher said that I would never become the strongest sword cultivator."

"The National Teacher told me that a hundred years ago, there was a sword cultivator from a Hundred Kingdoms village who rose from slavery. Wearing a white robe, he fought across the land, and this sword cultivator never relied on bodyguard spirit energy."

"The National Teacher said that I was too timid."

"As a sword cultivator, one must have the determination to die and the resolve to shatter like jade. Only then can one cut down all enemies. If a sword cultivator overly relies on their bodyguard spirit energy, it means they lack confidence in their ability to defeat enemies with a single sword."

"The sword cultivator the National Teacher spoke of was named Sword One."

"Retracting one's bodyguard spirit energy is a dangerous thing. It means that even someone with much lower cultivation can easily kill you. I could never do it, and the National Teacher often mocked me for this."

"But today—"

The Seventh Prince suddenly opened his eyes, staring intently at Chen Qiu. The long-suppressed sword intent surged through his arm and into the sword, causing a greenish liquid to flow slowly along the blade.

"I'll show you the sword I didn't unsheathe in the Talented Genius Secret Realm!"

"This sword is named Heavenward!"

"Bestowed by the National Teacher in the 783rd year of Daxia!"

The next moment, the raging storm seemed to freeze for an instant. The death intent carried by the Seventh Prince even affected the minds of the Imperial Guard, causing a layer of sadness to appear in everyone's hearts. Then, the soaring sword intent exploded! Countless wooden windows in the palace shattered.

The Seventh Prince's figure seemed to appear instantly in front of Chen Qiu. He tightly gripped the sword hilt, raising the blade to his chest, his face contorted with rage as he roared and thrust the sword towards Chen Qiu's face!

Heeding the National Teacher's words, he retracted all his bodyguard spirit energy, concentrating all his spirit energy into this one strike.

He left no backup plan.

With this strike, he would have no more fighting power, leaving himself at the mercy of his opponent.

This sword was the culmination of his years of understanding of the sword path. He poured all his sword intent into this strike, confident that he could kill a Fourth Level Golden Core cultivator with a single thrust!

But Chen Qiu remained motionless from start to finish.

As the sword was about to pierce him, even the Great Venerables of Daxia standing on the roof couldn't help but be moved. This sword was not weak; even as a spell cultivator with far superior cultivation, one would still be injured.

The next moment—

"Clang!"

A metallic clanging sound rang out.

Chen Qiu's expression remained calm, and with just the edge of the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, he effortlessly blocked the desperate attack from the Seventh Prince. Then, looking at the Seventh Prince, whose face was filled with despair and unwillingness, Chen Qiu couldn't help but smile.

"The National Teacher deceived you back then. That's why Sword One never used his bodyguard spirit energy."

"It's because Sword One's entry made it impossible for him to use his bodyguard spirit energy."

"Who would be foolish enough to have the ability to use bodyguard spirit energy but not use it?"

"Impossible, impossible!"

Upon hearing Chen Qiu's words, the Seventh Prince, who had been filled with unwillingness, suddenly took a few steps back. With a sharp sword in hand, he pointed it at Chen Qiu and roared furiously, "You're lying! It's impossible! The National Teacher would never deceive me!"

"The National Teacher also said that I would definitely become the Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator. I won't allow you to insult the National Teacher like this!"

". . ."

The smile on Chen Qiu's face slowly faded, and with a calm expression, he looked at the slightly deranged Seventh Prince. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "You're wrong. The National Teacher has deceived you many times, and you will never become the Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator."

"In the National Teacher's heart..."

"You will never be his Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator."

"You're full of it!" The Seventh Prince's voice was already trembling, and for some reason, he saw a very familiar expression in Chen Qiu's eyes. Suddenly, a wave of disbelief washed over him, and he became a little flustered. He quickly took out a yellowing wooden token from his storage ring.

Standing in the midst of the raging storm, allowing the rain to pound against his body, he held the token high and shouted with a quivering voice, "This was personally bestowed upon me by the National Teacher! It's the Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator token!"

"How dare you say that I'm not the National Teacher's chosen Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator!"

"How dare you!"

"The National Teacher has always been so kind to me. He would never deceive me!"

Just then—

The Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and others who had not shown themselves, supported the aged Great Xia Emperor and walked out into the storm, approaching the Imperial Guard standing in the square.

In front of them, a young man in a cloak, escorted by several Golden Core guards, slowly made his way to the square and stood beside the Seventh Prince, gazing at Chen Qiu who was standing in the midst of the storm. After a long while, he spoke in a voice filled with suppressed excitement, "Is it you?"

Chen Qiu's gaze shifted from the Seventh Prince to the young man in the cloak. After a moment, he replied softly, "It's me, Xiao Liu."

With just those few words, the young man in the cloak was so overcome with emotion that his voice even changed. He retracted all his bodyguard spirit energy, allowing the storm to batter his body. He knelt on one knee in the rain, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, his head lowered, and his neck veins bulging. With all his might, he shouted hoarsely, "Your subordinate, Xiao Liu, pays his respects to the National Teacher!"

The next moment—

Everyone around them changed their expressions, and each person standing there had heard of the National Teacher's great name but had never met him in person.

Wasn't the National Teacher in seclusion?

Has it been more than three years since he entered seclusion?

Is the recent peerless genius sweeping across Great Xia the National Teacher?

Immediately after, the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and even the aged Great Xia Emperor, who was standing in front of the Imperial Guard in the square, all retracted their bodyguard spirit energy and knelt in the rain. Their voices trembled with awe as they spoke in unison.

"Old servant Xia Xundao, I have met the National Teacher!"

"Old servant Xia Dexin, I have met the National Teacher!"

Although the Imperial Guard didn't know what was happening, since the Emperor had knelt, they naturally had no reason to remain standing. They simultaneously retracted their bodyguard spirit energy and knelt in the rain, their voices loud and unified.

"We have met the National Teacher."

The eight Great Xia Venerables standing on the eaves slightly twitched their lips, momentarily unsure of what was happening. Suddenly, even the Emperor was addressing himself as an old servant. They exchanged glances and took a deep breath.

They, too, retracted their bodyguard spirit energy and knelt on the eaves.

"The Xia Family Venerables pay our respects to the National Teacher."

For some reason, after kneeling, they felt much more at ease, as if they had suddenly joined the same camp as Chen Qiu. When they were on opposing sides, they only felt fear, but now that they were on the same side, a strong sense of security emerged.

Retracting their bodyguard spirit energy meant a significant reduction in defense, and in the cultivation world, it signified submission.

It was the highest form of recognition.

Without exception.

Fat Dragon, standing behind Chen Qiu, stood rooted to the spot, his mouth agape with disbelief and shock. He had suspected that the Scholar was the National Teacher, that the Scholar's younger brother was the National Teacher, and even that he himself might be the National Teacher!

But he had never, ever suspected that Brother Chen was the National Teacher!

However, this was not the time for such thoughts. Everyone had knelt, and if they didn't follow suit, it would be like kneeling to them. As Fat Dragon was about to pull on the Scholar's sleeve to indicate that he should kneel as well, he noticed that the Scholar and his younger brother had already knelt in the rain, retracting their bodyguard spirit energy and respectfully lowering their heads towards Brother Chen.

Damn it!

Fat Dragon couldn't help but curse silently in his heart, but he didn't dare delay. He quickly retracted his bodyguard spirit energy, allowing the storm to batter his body, and knelt in the rain.

In the Great Xia Palace, in the square, including the Great Xia Emperor Xia Xundao, everyone retracted their bodyguard spirit energy and knelt respectfully, their heads bowed in awe towards Chen Qiu.

Dark clouds loomed over the city.

Amidst the raging storm, only two people remained standing.

One was Chen Qiu, holding the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, his clothes fluttering in the wind, and the other was the Seventh Prince, whose emotions were on the verge of collapse, tightly clutching a wooden token in his hand.

"National Teacher..."

At that moment, the Seventh Prince stood in the rain, his face obscured by the downpour, and his voice devoid of any crying. His eyes were bloodshot, and he stared intently at Chen Qiu, speaking each word with determination.

"Little Seven, you're really not the Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator?"

"Did you lie to me?"

". . ."

Chen Qiu stood in place, gazing at the Seventh Prince, silent. In his heart, he acknowledged that the Seventh Prince's talent in the sword path was indeed not bad, but it was far inferior to White Robe, so he could never be the Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator.

When the Seventh Prince was young, he always pestered him, wanting to learn the sword.

He wanted to become an unparalleled Sword Cultivator like Sword One.

He humored the child, but now it seemed that the Seventh Prince never took his words as a joke. Back then, he relied on lies for his cultivation, and lying had become second nature to him.

After a long while, he stood in the midst of the raging storm and slowly shook his head.

"You will never become the Great Xia's Supreme Sword Cultivator."

"But—"

"Do you know about the Xuantian Continent? It's a vast land."

"In the future, you will become the Xuantian's Supreme Sword Cultivator."

"Really?" The Seventh Prince, who was on the verge of despair, suddenly wept with joy like a child, wiping his blurry eyes with the sleeve of his white robe and looking at Chen Xiu with uncertainty.

"National Teacher, do you really think I can become the Xuantian's Supreme Sword Cultivator, even stronger than the Great Xia's Supreme Sword Cultivator?"

"Of course, I've never lied to you."

"I knew it!"

The Seventh Prince suddenly smiled in the rain, then gripped his long sword and knelt on one knee in the rain, lowering his head and screaming hysterically, "Disciple Xia Jiqiu, I have met the National Teacher!"

".

Chen Xiu stood calmly in the storm, his gaze sweeping over all those kneeling in the square.

Nearly a thousand years ago.

The Great Xia was once a small family, but how did it suddenly rise and establish the Great Xia Kingdom?

It was because of him.

In his sixth life, he was a Peak Grand Completion Golden Core Physical Cultivator, and his iron fists were unmatched in the world. He guided the Xia family onto the right path, and as a result, the Xia family ascended to their current position. He also bestowed upon the family head over a dozen Heavenly Dao entries that ensured there would be no consequences.

In every life since then, he would visit the Xia family once.

However, each time, his identity was different.

Sometimes he was the National Teacher, and sometimes he was the Imperial Teacher.

The Xia family's inner circle has always been aware of his existence. Each time he visited the Great Xia, he was the strongest in the world, but sometimes he was a Physical Cultivator, a Sword Cultivator, or even a Talisman Cultivator.

In this life, he became a Spell Cultivator.

In his previous life, he spread many lies through the Xia family, and some of those lies have become deeply ingrained in people's minds.

For example, the Heaven's Great Array that covers the entire Great Xia with the official path as its veins was designed to defend against Nascent Soul Cultivators from neighboring regions. Another example is the story of a third prince who killed a rabbit on the official path and was executed by the Great Xia Emperor with over a thousand cuts.

Through these grand deceptions, his cultivation continued to improve.

"All of you, stand up."

After a long while, Chen Xiu glanced at the crowd and, holding the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, strode towards a study inside the palace. The young man named Xiao Liu, who was kneeling on the ground, wisely got up and followed him.

Inside the Great Xia Palace.

In a study, the young man named Xiao Liu had taken off his cloak and stood nervously to the side, saying cautiously, "National Teacher, there was an unexpected development with the layout. The Eight-Petaled Fire Lotus in the Endless Desert was stolen by an unknown thief."

"It's fine."

Chen Xiu sighed and shook his head. His plan for that day was to wait for the Eight-Petaled Fire Lotus to mature, at which point the underground fire sea in the Endless Desert would open a pre-set Heavenly Dao secret realm, and the reward for completing it would be the Eight-Petaled Fire Lotus.

However, the secret realm did not open as scheduled, which was why Xiao Liu went to investigate the underground fire sea in the Endless Desert, only to discover that the Eight-Petaled Fire Lotus was gone.

According to his plan from the previous life, his spiritual energy capacity in this life should have been insufficient to navigate the fire sea and find the Eight-Petaled Fire Lotus at this point. Who would have thought that in this life, he randomly obtained the "Slippery Hands" entry.

Injuries restore spiritual energy.

Coincidentally, he was injured by the Divine Sense attack of the Myriad Poison Sect's Sect Leader and went to the Starlight Sect to seek medicinal pills. While there, he took the opportunity to enter the underground fire sea in the Endless Desert.

This process can be described without exaggeration as—

completely different from his plan.

But.

The result was the same, even better.

He sat in the chair, looking at the eleven unopened silk pouches on the desk, and shook his head. He put all the silk pouches into his Spirit Artifact, and he knew what was written on the slips of paper inside them.

Of course, he knew what they contained.

At least in his previous life, he made one absolutely correct decision: not to tell his tenth life all the information, so he wouldn't make as many wrong decisions as in his previous lives.

When a person knows too much, making decisions becomes difficult.

It's not the same for someone who has reincarnated multiple times and started from scratch, compared to someone who rose from humble beginnings. That kind of fearless, barefoot attitude, regardless of the future, is to charge forward without hesitation.

He had tried it.

In the Illusion Stone, he reincarnated thirty-six times in the illusion, and in twenty-seven of those lives, he reached heights that ordinary people could hardly attain. Only in nine lives did he die on the path of humble beginnings.

Chen Xiu, sitting in the chair in the study, turned his head to look at the Illusion Stone on the corner of the desk. After a moment, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh helplessly, "The Fat City Lord probably still doesn't understand why I sent him to Fat City."

Plans can never keep up with changes.

He had originally planned to prepare several second-rank Golden Core pills for Artisans in Fat State, and he sent the Fat City Lord there because he had a great advantage: he didn't meddle in others' affairs.

So now,

he will first go and take all the prepared opportunities, and then when his cultivation breaks through to the Peak Grand Completion Golden Core, he will prepare to leave the Great Xia Cage.

Oh, right!

He also needs to go to Fat City to matchmake the timid Alchemy Cultivator and the Heavenly Dao's Second Beauty, who both have feelings for each other but are too shy to reveal their love. This will also help establish another Alchemy Cultivator lineage.

His SkyMock Sect also needs an Alchemy Cultivator.

And it will be a successful match, a good deed done.

Lovers are destined to be together in the end.

The two Demon Lotuses beneath the Endless Snow Mountain and the Boundless Sea are also about to mature, so he will be busy in the coming days.

So tiring.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end