bookbashuk Chapter 22 You've Made It onto the Nine Provinces' Heavenly Ranking
Chapter 22 You've Made It onto the Nine Provinces' Heavenly Ranking
Inviting the moon, she crossed her knees, her red lips slightly parted, her voice clear and cold:
"After Jiang Feng and his wife died, this person went to the Valley of Villains and disappeared without a trace."
"I thought he had perished there, but I never imagined that not only did he survive, but his strength had already surpassed mine."
Lianxing nodded slightly, a cold glint flashing deep in her eyes, revealing a hidden killing intent.
"With Yan Nantian's cultivation level, how could those mediocre people kill him so easily?"
"However... to dare to desecrate Jiang Feng's corpse is truly audacious."
Upon hearing this...
Yaoyue's expression suddenly turned cold, her internal energy surged and vibrated, and her sleeves moved without wind.
"Once the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking matter is settled, I will personally make a trip to the Valley of Villains—"
"Raze that filthy place to the ground!"
For Yaoyue.
Although Jiang Feng betrayed her, he was still the person she had once given her heart to.
Now someone is using his remains to provoke us; she will never tolerate this insult!
On the border of the Qin Dynasty, outside the Mo family's mechanical city.
When the names Yaoyue and Yan Nantian appeared one after another, Wei Zhuang's face turned ashen.
"it turns out……"
"It's not my turn yet, senior brother..."
He originally thought that Gai Nie was at a similar level to himself, at most ranking slightly higher due to certain reasons, and perhaps only a half-step Grandmaster.
But the reality is—
Inviting the Moon is already a Grandmaster!
Yan Nantian, who followed closely behind, was also ranked as a Grandmaster!
This means...
Gai Nie's strength far surpasses his!
At the very least, he is an unparalleled expert who has just entered the Grandmaster realm!
On the other side of the Mo Family Mechanical City.
The air was thick with the chill of war, and warhorses galloped about.
A troop of golden fire cavalry, neatly arrayed, charged out, raising clouds of yellow sand, heading straight for the hundreds of remaining old Chu cavalrymen in the center.
"Buzz—"
The sword rang out, splitting the sky.
A sword light ripped through the sky, instantly killing dozens of Qin cavalrymen.
Holding Yuanhong in one hand and Tianming tightly in the other, Wei Zhuang, dressed simply, stood like a lone peak, going against the current, invincible.
These cavalrymen clad in golden flame armor might be fearsome death gods in the eyes of ordinary people, but in Wei Zhuang's eyes, even though he was seriously injured at this moment, they were nothing more than a group of noisy ants.
however.
The Golden Fire Cavalry was, after all, the most elite force of the Qin Dynasty. They were numerous and their battle formation was formidable. In addition, Tianming and a group of remnants of the old Chu cavalry slowed down the pace of the battle, and the situation became deadlocked for a time.
Even Gai Nie was forced into a prolonged battle and found it difficult to break free.
Surrounded by heavy cavalry, Meng Tian rode slowly, his eyes sharp as he stared at the familiar figure ahead.
"Gai Nie, as the Sword Saint who protects the Qin Dynasty, you have committed a great crime by betraying the court. You have even colluded with foreign enemies to slaughter the soldiers of the Qin Dynasty."
"How do you intend to defend yourself after such actions?"
"Buzz—"
The longsword pierced the air, its cold light spreading everywhere, and its sword energy tore through the long wind.
With Yuanhong in hand, Wei Zhuang, despite having to protect Tianming and being restrained by his old subordinates, was still like a demon descending upon the world. Wherever he went, the formation of the Golden Fire Cavalry collapsed one after another.
Upon hearing Meng Tian's question, Gai Nie paused slightly in his sword strike, a glint of pain flashed in his eyes.
"The Great Qin..."
"I have failed the Great Qin Dynasty, and I have also failed His Majesty."
"But if I could do it all over again, I would still choose this path."
"Hmph! Stubborn to the end!"
Meng Tian shouted coldly, raising his bronze sword high above his head, his inner strength surging, the sound like thunder:
"Golden Fire Cavalry!"
"The encirclement is complete! All troops, charge!"
With the order given, the already orderly military formation shifted again, layer upon layer, like golden rings binding their lives, firmly trapping the three in the center.
At that moment, a strange phenomenon occurred in the heavens and earth, with golden light piercing the sun—the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking was refreshed once again!
[Ranked twelfth on the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking, successor of the Ghost Valley School of Diplomacy, Gai Nie!]
The moment the golden characters appeared, they resounded like thunder throughout the land, causing an uproar.
"The Guigu School again? This successor is on the list once more!"
"The Ghost Valley School is truly terrifying! Two of their disciples have both made it into the top fifteen of the Heavenly Ranking!"
"What monstrous talent! Two peerless experts from one family—only the Yihua Palace can rival them throughout the world!"
"A Grandmaster and a half-step Grandmaster, ranked so high—the power of Guigu Valley may have already surpassed that of Yihua!"
Deep in the dense forest outside the city of government offices.
Wei Zhuang's pupils contracted, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a rare smile on his usually cold face.
"Senior brother...is it finally your turn?"
"Grandmaster... as expected, he has lived up to my expectations."
"I just wonder, what level have you reached in the Grandmaster realm?"
Inside the royal palace in Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty.
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, Ying Zheng's eyes widened in anger, and he smashed the jade cup in his hand to the ground, splashing the fine wine and sending shards of porcelain flying everywhere.
His aura was as deep and unfathomable as a prison, like a tiger unleashed from its cage. Even a master like Zhao Gao held his breath and dared not move.
"Gai Nie!"
"How much kindness have I shown you?"
Why did you have to betray me?
He looked up at the dazzling rankings in the sky, his anger surging and lingering for a long time.
Grandmaster!
What level of existence is that?
The twelfth strongest in Kyushu!
To date, among the seven great dynasties, only Yuan Tiangang has reached the level of a half-step Grandmaster; the rest are merely Grandmasters.
If Gai Nie hadn't betrayed—
My Great Qin is the only dynasty among the Seven Kingdoms to possess the true power of a Grandmaster!
Enough to awe the world and illuminate the entire land!
[Gai Nie, a contemporary successor of the Ghost Valley School of Strategists, and Wei Zhuang's senior brother. He has studied the strategies of the Strategists and their swordsmanship since childhood, possessing exceptional talent. In his youth, he joined forces with Wei Zhuang to slay Hei Bai Xuan Jian.]
After descending the mountain, he became Qin King Ying Zheng's swordsmanship instructor, protecting him throughout his rise to power and the consolidation of his empire.
[Through repeated battles against powerful enemies, his cultivation level has continuously broken through.]
After Ying Zheng ascended the throne, he bestowed upon him the title of "Great Qin Sword Saint." However, after the unification of the six states, at the request of his friend Gao Jianli, he and Jing Ke's son, Jing Tianming, rebelled against Qin.
[While fleeing wounded, he single-handedly protected a child, repeatedly defeating his pursuers, and defying adversity to break through in a desperate situation devoid of internal energy.]
[I have now reached the early stage of Grandmaster!]
[A specially bestowed Foundation Strengthening Pill, capable of instantly healing old injuries, stabilizing the foundation, and aiding in a perfect breakthrough!]
"To betray the empire based on a single promise, Gai Nie is indeed a man of deep affection."
"Ha... It's hard to understand how someone could break with the Qin Emperor for a little bit of loyalty."
Despite being severely injured and protecting a burden, he managed to escape the Qin Dynasty's encirclement time and time again.
"Is this... the true power of a Grandmaster?"
The Imperial Garden of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Shimin's originally calm face gradually turned gloomy as Gai Nie's past deeds came to light, his brows filled with worry.
"A Grandmaster is this powerful?"
"The military might of the Qin Dynasty was unmatched among all dynasties."
"Yet Gai Nie, despite being severely injured, managed to escape with one person and repeatedly evade pursuit. Such skill, without a top-tier expert to suppress him, would likely be difficult for the entire dynasty to control!"
"Could this be... the legendary realm of gods and demons?"
Even Yuan Tiangang, who was already a half-step Grandmaster standing beside him, could not hide his shock at this moment.
He knew all along that when a Grandmaster made a move, his power would be boundless.
But unexpectedly—
Even if it is severely injured and has one person to rely on, it is still not something that can be captured by a thousand troops.
Such power is far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people!
Deep within the valleys of the Great Song Dynasty.
A middle-aged man dressed in black stood silently, his body showing no sign of movement.
He casually folded off a piece of withered grass, and with a slight movement of his fingertips, a wisp of sword intent quietly condensed.
With a light flick of his right hand, the withered grass, like a sword, slashed out fiercely.
"Buzz—"
The sword energy pierced the air and exploded with a deafening roar.
A sharp sword beam burst forth from the tip of the grass, sweeping across a hundred feet in front of it, causing rocks to crumble and vegetation to snap.
With a single sword strike, he casually tossed the withered grass into the dust, his eyes flashing slightly, his fighting spirit surging like a tide, and his aura becoming increasingly sharp and intimidating.
"Interesting, really interesting."
"First came the Sword God Yan Nantian, and now the Sword Saint Gai Nie has appeared..."
"Even I can't help but feel a sense of anticipation towards a swordsman of this caliber!"
The Forbidden City of the Song Dynasty.
Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue stared at the names displayed on the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking—Gai Nie and Yan Nantian—their hearts suddenly jolted, and their expressions became slightly stiff.
Both were masters of the sword, one known as the Sword God and the other as the Sword Saint. They believed that there were no kindred spirits in the world, and that only they could be each other’s rivals. They spent many years in solitude on the path of the sword.
Only the other party is worthy of testing the sword.
However, at this moment—
On the Heavenly Ranking, another Sword God and a Sword Saint were listed side by side.
The gap between them and those two was like heaven and earth.
He was merely a Grandmaster, while his opponent was a Grandmaster who surpassed him!
Faced with such a master of swordsmanship, they are almost unworthy of the titles "Sword God" and "Sword Saint".
"Buzzing..."
But in an instant, the sword intent within the two surged into the sky, their unparalleled sharpness flashing and disappearing in an instant.
Even though they were intimidated by Yan Nantian and Gai Nie,
But Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng were ultimately pure swordsmen.
Before the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking appeared, they only had one enemy in their eyes—each other.
now--
The Heavenly Ranking proclaims to the world: Among the nine provinces, there are still those who are even stronger!
That long-dormant competitive spirit was rekindled.
So what if he's a grandmaster?
They will eventually reach the summit, step by step, with each sword strike!
It has nothing to do with empty fame.
For the sake of swordsmanship itself.
Be sincere in your sword, be sincere in your heart!
Outside the Mo Family's mechanical city of the Qin Dynasty.
The Golden Fire Cavalry arrived in formation, their iron hooves thundering, their ranks impenetrable, encircling the enemy in layers.
"Mr. Gai Nie, you don't need to worry about us."
"With your abilities, you should be able to break through easily."
Xiang Liang, clad in blood-stained armor, rode closer, his voice hoarse yet resolute:
"I only beg you to take Shaoyu away; he is the only hope for our Great Chu!"
"We'll cover your retreat for the rest."
With a single sweep of his sword, Gai Nie sent more than ten cavalrymen sprawling from their horses.
His internal injuries worsened as a result, and his breathing became disordered.
Looking up, the golden torrent of iron continued its ceaseless flow.
He hesitated for a moment, about to nod in agreement.
Suddenly—
Tianming, who was being closely protected by him, suddenly became excited, pointed at the dazzling golden sky, and exclaimed in surprise:
"Uncle! Look! You've made it onto the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking!"
"There's another reward! It's something that can heal your injuries!"
"That's great, Uncle!"
The moment the scream rang out, it immediately drew the attention of Meng Tian, Xiang Liang, Shao Yu, Gai Nie, and the others on the battlefield.
"not good!"
Meng Tian looked up at the Nine Provinces Heavenly Ranking, his gaze falling on the reward information next to Gai Nie's name. His previously confident expression suddenly froze, his face changed drastically, and he roared out in anger.
"Everyone! Attack immediately! At all costs! We cannot allow Gai Nie to obtain the Heavenly Ranking!"
Before the words were even finished, the military order was given like thunder.
In an instant, the golden fire cavalry across the plains surged like a tide, all turning their direction and heading towards Gai Nie to encircle and annihilate him.