Chapter 144: The Grand Ceremony Begins, The Sword Emperor Seeks to Kill a Saint!
The grand central square of Tai’an City was bustling with activity. Representatives from countless sects of the Canglan Dao Domain gathered in one place, creating a vibrant sea of colors with their varied attire. Among them, Lin Qi’an and the delegation from Beiyang Tianjian City had arrived as well.
“So many people!” someone exclaimed, “It’s so lively! Nearly half the sects in the Canglan Dao Domain must be here.”
The square was packed to the brim, with disciples from various sects blending into an enormous, colorful mosaic. Surrounding the square, countless vendors had set up stalls, their voices blending into the bustling atmosphere.
At noon, Tai’an Emperor stepped forward to deliver the opening speech. His voice resonated across the square: “Thank you all for traveling from afar. This grand ceremony commemorates the three thousand years since the founding of the Tianlang Immortal Dynasty! During the celebration, feel free to enjoy the various events and activities throughout Tai’an City.”
He elaborated on the planned events: tributes to honored predecessors, banquets, and sect exchanges. While some activities were designed for the older generation, the highlight for the younger cultivators, including Lin Qi’an, was the “Beast Hunt Competition” scheduled for the next day.
A vast ancient forest outside Tai’an City was to serve as the battleground. Ferocious and demonic beasts, captured for their past crimes, would be released into the forest for the participants to subdue or slay. Captured beasts would then be used in the subsequent “Beast Duel Competition.”
As the crowd enthusiastically discussed the upcoming events, a sudden rumble interrupted them.
Boom!
The skies in the distance split apart as an enormous warship, resembling a colossal beast, emerged. Its overwhelming size blotted out the sun, casting vast shadows over the land below.
“My heavens! I’ve never seen such a massive warship!”
“Who could it be? Is it a sect?”
“No sect I know of has such grandeur… What’s going on?”
Even the strongest cultivators, including the attending Great Emperors, narrowed their eyes in uncertainty. Tai’an Emperor stepped forward and called out, his voice booming:
“Who dares arrive uninvited?”
A thunderous response echoed from the ship, accompanied by the roar of wind and lightning:
“Tianhai Dao Domain!”
The proclamation was like a thunderclap, stunning the crowd. A neighboring domain had sent such a massive warship to the ceremony—this was no casual visit.
“Tianhai Dao Domain? Why have they come? And with such fanfare…”
The tension thickened as a powerful figure descended from the ship. A middle-aged woman with faintly glowing purple scales and horns stood amidst crackling lightning. Her aura was suffocating, unmistakably that of a Saint.
She glared down at the gathering below and roared: “Who is Lin Qi’an? Step forward! You killed my son, and today I shall have your blood to repay his life!”
Her saintly aura swept over the crowd, sending waves of pressure crashing down. Many younger cultivators paled, struggling to breathe under the oppressive force.
“She’s here for Lin Qi’an?” murmured someone among the crowd.
“It seems he caused some trouble in the Western Seas…”
Lin Qi’an’s sister, Lin Liuli, grabbed his arm in alarm, “Is this really about you?”
“Yes,” Lin Qi’an replied calmly.
“Quick! Hide somewhere. Father and I will handle this!” Lin Liuli urged.
“Don’t worry, Sister. It’s nothing,” he reassured her with a smile.
All eyes turned to Lin Qi’an, curious about how he would respond to a Saint’s challenge. Could he possibly retain his usual audacity? And how would the Sword Emperor handle this situation? Would he offer apologies to avoid conflict, or hand over his son to pacify the Saint?
Suddenly, a figure soared into the sky—it was Lin Wei Xuan, the Sword Emperor himself. His gray robe billowed as a terrifying sword intent erupted from his deep-set eyes, piercing through the heavens.
“Sword Emperor Lin Wei Xuan is taking action!”
“I can’t believe I get to witness this moment in my lifetime!”
The crowd erupted in awe as they watched the legendary Great Emperor of the Canglan Dao Domain. For many, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the embodiment of swordsmanship itself.
Lin Weixuan raised his hand and pointed at the Saint. Instantly, the air trembled as an overwhelming force sealed off the space around her, cutting off all routes of escape. The pressure alone left the Saint gasping for breath, her expression contorted with shock.
“Sword Emperor is preventing her escape?”
“No way… Is he planning to kill her outright?”
“Impossible! Killing a Saint would provoke war between the domains!”
Yet the Sword Emperor, renowned for his decisive actions, showed no hesitation. His finger traced a circle in the air, sending ripples through the void. A dazzling light emerged from the ripples, revealing a myriad of swords—first hundreds, then thousands, then millions—all arranged in perfect formation.
Every blade pointed toward the female Saint, their sharp edges emanating an aura of annihilation. The Sword Emperor’s intent was unmistakable—he was prepared to slay her without mercy.
With a flick of his wrist, the Sword Emperor unleashed millions of radiant swords, each infused with devastating intent. The sheer elegance and terrifying precision left the crowd breathless.
“Every movement creates millions of sword techniques. Such divine power… truly beyond words!”
“First, he sealed her escape route, and now he’s unleashed this unparalleled ability. He’s determined to annihilate her!”
Spectators murmured in awe, knowing that witnessing the Sword Emperor’s might alone made the grand ceremony worthwhile.
The female Saint, trembling with wide eyes, struggled to counter. Her pupils quivered, and blood seeped from her lips as she stared at the cascading swords with disbelief. Impossible! Even if he is a Great Emperor, how can I be so utterly powerless?
“Go.” With that single command, the millions of light swords descended like a torrential rainstorm, piercing toward her with unrelenting fury.
The Saint hastily channeled her spiritual energy for defense, but it shattered upon contact with the first wave. Blood sprayed from her mouth as her body trembled.
“These light swords… Each one alone could kill a Sovereign Realm cultivator!”
“This is equivalent to millions of Sovereign-level warriors attacking her simultaneously…”
“How terrifying! If the Sword Emperor wanted, this technique could wipe out millions below the Sovereign Realm in an instant!”
The crowd shuddered in fear and reverence.
Blade Emperor Gu Jingyun, watching from afar, couldn’t help but twitch his lips.
“I thought my blade intent, honed over a century, could finally surpass Lin Weixuan’s swordsmanship. But now it seems his strength has grown even more… It’s hard to say anymore.”
Even Tai’an Emperor sighed in resignation. Though also a Great Emperor, his battle prowess paled compared to Lin Wei Xuan’s. Among Great Emperors, there was a gulf that could not be bridged.
While he and Xiling Emperor represented the middle tier, Lin Weixuan and Gu Jingyun belonged to the upper echelon. Lin Wei Xuan, in particular, could easily fight two lesser Great Emperors simultaneously without faltering.
The sky filled with streaks of light as millions of swords hovered in perfect formation, aimed unwaveringly at the Saint. The sheer control Lin Wei Xuan exhibited over such devastating power astounded all. Not a single ripple of destruction touched the ground or the nearby structures—something lesser Great Emperors could never achieve.
“For his son, the Sword Emperor shows no mercy…”
“To threaten the Crown Prince in the Canglan Dao Domain is to court death!”
“Even if his son slaughtered her entire clan, Lin Weixuan wouldn’t hesitate to protect him!”
“His principle is clear—loyalty to family above all else!”
This unyielding nature was precisely why Lin Qi’an had chosen to accept the system’s path as a villain. To protect his family and crush any so-called “Destined Children” threatening their safety, he had taken this unorthodox route.
Now, it was his father shielding him. But one day, Lin Qi’an knew he would bear the weight of this responsibility, standing as the pillar of his family.
“The Sword Emperor’s name is truly well-deserved!” Suddenly, a man descended from the colossal warship—a member of the Kui Dragon Clan, dressed in luxurious purple-gold robes with lightning crackling across his body. His brown hair swayed as his domineering aura spread through the area.
This was Kui Shili, the Great Emperor of the Kui Dragon Clan, and a cornerstone of the Tianhai Dao Domain’s might.
The female Saint, though powerful, was merely a clan elder and held no authority compared to him. Her vendetta was personal and lacked the domain’s endorsement.
Kui Shili raised his hand, summoning a shield of lightning that saved the Saint from certain death. Without his intervention, she would have perished under the Sword Emperor’s wrath.
“She only said a few words, and the Sword Emperor sought to kill her. Isn’t that too tyrannical?” Kui Shili asked.
Lin Wei Xuan chuckled. “She’s still alive, which means I haven’t gone too far.”
The casual tone carried an unmistakable dominance. “If I truly intended to kill her, do you think you could stop me? Her survival is simply my indulgence.”
Kui Shili’s expression darkened at the implicit threat.
Tai’an Emperor spoke up, his tone sharp, “If the Tianhai Dao Domain has come all this way for such a trivial matter, you may return now!”
“We wouldn’t waste time over personal grudges,” Kui Shili replied with a faint smile.
Another figure descended from the warship, exuding an imposing aura. This man, bald with obsidian skin and muscles like coiled dragons, emanated raw power with every step. The Tianhai Dao Domain had dispatched not one but two Great Emperors!
Accompanying them were Saints and other formidable experts, transforming this ceremony into an unprecedented gathering of power.
“We heard about the millennium celebration in the Canglan Dao Domain and decided to join in the festivities. Our young talents also seek to exchange pointers with yours. Wouldn’t that make the event more lively?” Kui Shili proposed with a smile.
Even before he finished, nearly a hundred beams of light shot down from the warship—Tianhai Dao Domain’s prodigies. Most were non-human geniuses, with only a few humans among them.
“I can’t wait to trample these so-called geniuses of the Canglan Dao Domain!”
“I heard they’re all weaklings—only a handful have even reached the peak of the Celestial Realm!”
“Pathetic. This will be boring.”
Confidence radiated from their every word, their faces brimming with arrogance.
Kui Shili added, “Would it be possible for us to participate in the grand ceremony? It would surely make this event even more spectacular!”
His real goal, however, wasn’t simple revenge for the female Saint. He sought to crush the younger generation of the Canglan Dao Domain, seize opportunities from the ceremony, and set the stage for future invasions.
Tai’an Emperor hesitated. Refusing would make their domain appear cowardly, but accepting and losing would tarnish their reputation.
“Yes,” Lin Weixuan answered decisively, cutting through the tension.
His single word caused ripples of astonishment among the crowd. No one had expected the ceremony to take such a turn, with outsiders now entering the fray. The stakes and intensity had soared.
For the Canglan Dao Domain’s young talents, this was a battle of honor. Could they withstand the pressure from the Tianhai Dao Domain?
Lin Qi’an felt the weight settle heavily on his shoulders. He had to face not only three “Destined Children” but also fend off personal vendettas while protecting the reputation of his domain.
His father’s decision carried an unspoken message: “I trust my son. Bring it on!”