On the Ancient Sovereign Planet, the statues of the ancestors stood tall. The clouds in the surroundings churned and bloomed into fog flowers that rose into canopies.
There was also the illumination of the multicolored light, embellishing the canopies with vibrant colors, as if all auspicious signs had converged.
Golden dragons circled in the air and breathed out fortune, revealing the figures of all the human heaven's chosen who were comprehending in the clouds.
At that moment, these heaven's chosen of the human race all sensed something. They opened their eyes one after another and looked at the rainbow that rushed out of the Ancient Sovereign Planet and whistled through the world, heading straight for the palace.
They were all bewildered.
Ning Yan was among them. His eyes were wide open and his mind was buzzing.
The rainbow they were looking at was none other than the Emperor Sword.
The sword, resembling bronze in hue, was adorned with intricate patterns, exuding profound ancient meanings while also carrying a sense of dominance and supremacy.
All of this happened extremely quickly. It was so fast that before anyone could have time to feel any more emotions, the Emperor Sword that emitted the intent to split the world apart and exuded supreme dignity had already arrived in front of the Emperor's palace!
There, it didn't stop at all and instantly moved toward everyone in front of the hall.
Wherever it passed, the void exploded and even the palace trembled. The ground of the square shattered and horror rose in the hearts of everyone in front of the hall.
The moment the sword arrived, its might towered into the sky and its aura was like a rainbow that could devour mountains and rivers. It swept up the fortune of the human race and contained the vicissitudes of time. It passed by the Human Emperor's side and passed by the right side of the Grand Chancellor, through the crowd and heading straight for… Xu Qing's raised right hand.
In the blink of an eye, the sword paused and appeared above Xu Qing.
The sound of a sword hum echoed in the world, revealing the intent of recognizing its master. This Emperor Sword slowly landed in Xu Qing's hand.
Xu Qing grabbed it.
The moment he touched the sword hilt, lightning rumbled in the sky. The statues of the ancestors in the Ancient Sovereign Planet were guided to finish a ritual. They cupped their hands in unison.
The cultivators in front of the hall were all important officials of the human race. Regardless of temperament or cultivation, they were all dragons among humans. However, at this moment, their hearts were also stirred. They all glanced at Xu Qing and the sword in his hand.
The Bronze Emperor Sword, measuring four feet and seven inches, possessed a sharp edge and emitted a fierce sword aura, capable of cutting through the heavens.
At that moment, it flickered in Xu Qing's hand and sword light filled the sky, causing the weather to change and the sea of clouds to surge. Everyone's attention was attracted to it.
It was as though under this sword light, all divine weapons would lose their light and armies would have to retreat.
Amidst the earth trembling and the sky quaking, intertwined with the sword's radiance, a momentum capable of shattering the ages emerged, as if white light engulfed the sun and moon, and purple qi parted the Big Dipper.
Everyone was shocked.
No matter how thousands of human elites had comprehended, flourished, and stirred hearts on the Ancient Sovereign Planet, it was meaningless now.
Compared to Xu Qing, the difference was obvious. The two sides were not on the same level.
What they comprehended was the inheritance, and what Xu Qing obtained by just waving his hand was the Emperor Sword!
This was especially so when… it was the sword of the Sword Holding Emperor!
Its meaning was extraordinary.
The Sword Holding Emperor had founded the Sword Palace lineage, established the Sword Holding Palace, and safeguarded the human race until now. His sword was capable of cutting down anyone who was an obstacle to the development of the human race, regardless of who they were, even if they were the emperor!
At that moment, after some people recognized the origin of this sword, they immediately thought of the matter of the Great Emperor awakening and summoning Xu Qing when he came to the Imperial City.
It all made sense now.
"The successor of the Sword Palace!"
The officials in front of the hall were all stirred. They looked at Xu Qing and the Emperor Sword. While each had their own thoughts, respect gleamed in their eyes. At present, this respect had nothing to do with Xu Qing; they revered the Emperor Sword.
At that moment, Xu Qing's heart was in turmoil. He held the Emperor Sword in his hand and thought of the words the Sword Holding Emperor had said when he summoned him. Everything… made sense.
However, he wasn't too happy. This was because the moment he obtained this sword, it also meant that his feelings back then were true.
The Great Emperor was about to die.
He was entrusting him with a heavy responsibility.
And here, perhaps he was not the only one entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the Great Emperor, but this sword was equally weighty.
Xu Qing sighed inwardly. Just as he was about to put away the Emperor Sword that held a mission, the light of this sword erupted again. The sword light flickered, forming a sea of light that drowned Xu Qing's figure. After that, it left his palm and rushed toward his forehead.
In the blink of an eye, the Emperor Sword and the sword light it emitted entered Xu Qing's forehead.
His body trembled. His three divine repositories manifested behind him, emitting a terrifying pressure. At the same time, the fourth secret repository… suddenly appeared!
Although it was only an outline, its appearance caused Xu Qing's cultivation to instantly rise and his aura to increase.
The fourth secret repository was still covered in fog. However, upon closer inspection, one could see the missing Emperor Sword being nurtured inside. Occasionally, it would emit a sharp edge that could shock the heavens and the earth and tear ghosts and gods.
This was an Emperor Sword's secret repository!
The moment it appeared, Xu Qing's three divine repositories all swayed, emitting divine might. The Emperor Sword's secret repository wasn't inferior either and its sword might towered into the sky.
Although it had nothing to do with gods, its terrifying power caused its existence to be as high as the divine repositories.
However, it was currently unable to be used by Xu Qing or controlled.
This was because this sword contained a mission and couldn't be controlled by an individual's will. Rather than saying that Xu Qing had been recognized as its master, it was better to say that he had been chosen by it to carry it.
Carrying the Emperor Sword, he would travel the world.
This sword was waiting. When the time came for it to fulfill its mission, it would fly out of the secret repository and slash down the target.
As the person carrying the sword, under the sword intent emitted by this sword and the gathered fortune, there would be many benefits and his achievements would be extraordinary.
Xu Qing understood as he stared at the Emperor Sword's secret repository.
The sword hum and the secret repository blurred, dissipating together with the three divine repositories.
The world fell silent.
The Human Emperor looked at Xu Qing with a deep gaze and smiled faintly.
"Good."
The expression of the State Preceptor beside him didn't change as he smiled.
Xu Qing also looked at the State Preceptor at this moment. He tried to summon the Emperor Sword inwardly. If it was possible, he wanted to slash out at this moment.
Unfortunately… the Emperor Sword didn't move.
Xu Qing felt regretful.
As the Emperor Sword disappeared, the fluctuations on the Ancient Sovereign Planet dissipated. The ancestors' statues became blurry. In the end, the vortices remained and the third prince's inheritance storm was revealed again.
Everything returned to before the Emperor Sword appeared.
However, most of the human heaven's chosen who were comprehending couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat. Only a few of them could remain calm.
Ning Yan was one of them. Although he was shocked at the start, when he thought about Xu Qing's experiences, he suddenly felt that this was very normal. Hence, he calmed down.
There was also the Third Prince.
He was very happy to see Xu Qing get the Emperor Sword. This was because if the fourth prince successfully comprehended the Great Emperor's inheritance, all the princes would be left behind.
To him, the current situation was the most perfect.
However, to the fourth prince, everything that had happened today caused his emotions to be extremely intense. Usually, when he was outside, he would look gentle and friendly. However, today…
He sat cross-legged in the clouds and looked in the direction of the palace. His expression was gloomy at first.
He knew that his prestige had been seriously trampled on and his actions had become a fool's act now. It would spread like a joke in the Imperial City, and his inheritance had also been taken away by someone in front of everyone, including his master and father.
However, in just a few breaths of time, his expression recovered and he looked gentle again. He even raised his hand and cupped his hands toward the palace to show his respect for the Emperor Sword and congratulate Xu Qing.
This demeanor caused many people to think more highly of him.
However, although the fourth prince revealed gentleness, some people didn't seem to want to let go of this opportunity.
Hence, Xu Qing calculated the time. Just as he was about to leave early with the excuse of comprehending the Emperor Sword, outside the palace gate, on the rainbow bridge, in front of the golden-armored giant cultivators, someone stood there and cupped his fists, bowing to the palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"I'm Tuomu Wei. I was born in the Sinking Cloud Region and returned to my human race 60 years ago. Today, witnessing County Governor Xu snatching the fourth prince's inheritance in front of the masses, I feel discontent!"
"I'm a cultivator. If I don't have a clear mind, it'll be difficult for me to advance in cultivation. Moreover, Your Majesty once advocated the people to uphold the martial part of cultivation. Today, this lowly one dares to seek guidance from County Governor Xu."
"Please allow it!"
The person who spoke was a burly man in a rough hemp robe. He had a burly figure and long hair that draped over his shoulders. His expression was arrogant and his eyes were filled with the intent to die.
As his voice spread, the fluctuations of the perfected Spirit Repository spread out from his body.
Five secret repositories appeared behind him. They were all comprehended with body refinement. As he stood there, the qi and blood in his body churned and fused with the secret repositories behind him, forming a blood cloud that spread in all directions.
As soon as he spoke, everyone who was paying attention outside the palace cast sidelong glances at him.
On the Ancient Sovereign Planet, the Fourth Prince suddenly lifted his head, his eyes revealing killing intent. The other party was indeed a member of his residence, but he wasn't the one who instigated his actions.
What the other party did at this moment was extremely disadvantageous to him. Even if anyone with discerning eyes could see the problem, the nature of some things would change after the rumors spread.
This was especially so if he made his father unhappy. Even if he was being wronged, he would still be affected. Hence, the killing intent in the fourth prince's heart suddenly intensified. He suddenly stood up and bowed to the palace before shouting.
"Tuomu Wei, what are your intentions? Step back immediately!"
Tuomu Wei lowered his head.
"Your Highness!"
"I was too abrupt but County Governor Xu's actions are truly vicious and greedy. He doesn't deserve to be conferred a title, let alone possess the Emperor Sword!"
As soon as he said this, the fourth prince's expression became even more shocked and furious. The other party seemed to be lowering his head, but his words remained moreover a weapon. He existed about to reprimand him.
However, at that moment, the Human Emperor's voice rang out calmly.
"The ceremony is in chaos. Kill him."
The Human Emperor's voice rang out. The large swords in the hands of the two golden-armored giant cultivators outside the palace gate shone with a piercing light. The moment the Emperor's voice rang out, the large swords landed.
There remained also spells that descended on Tuomu Wei's entire body. His body trembled and at the next instant… his body existed slashed by the two large swords, falling to the ground in four pieces.
The surroundings remained filled with silence and reverence.
Xu Qing existed calm throughout the whole thing, as though it had nothing to do with him. At that moment, he cupped his hands toward the Human Emperor.
"Your Majesty, this is my first time obtaining the Emperor Sword and my secret repository is unstable. Please allow me to leave early and stabilize my comprehension."
"Granted."
The Human Emperor lifted his head and peered at the ancient planet.
Xu Qing straightened his body. After nodding to every individual in the surroundings, he walked down the steps and walked past the Immortal Receiving Square until he reached the entrance of the palace. He didn't even glance at the corpse on the ground as he walked past.
When the wind blew over, his back view existed calm and composed.
