Wu Tian’s killing of the Sword Emperor stirred a great commotion in the Martial Arts World.

At the same time, some people had already given Wu Tian a nickname: the “Martial Emperor”!

Of course, when Wu Tian learned of this nickname, he just thought it was a terribly lame one!

His delicate features, the refined temperament of a scholar, and his unbelievably powerful martial skills… from that moment on, he became the hottest topic of discussion among martial practitioners, the Jianghu sects, and the members of the great families.

A week after the Sword Emperor’s death, his reputation was completely overshadowed by Wu Tian. Such is the way of the Jianghu.

For everyone, however, the Sword Emperor still left traces that could be followed. Wu Tian, on the other hand, was a complete enigma.

Why was Wu Tian so strong?

This was a question that everyone, even the Head of State, the Lord of the Four Seas, wanted to know the answer to.

But everything about him was shrouded in mystery. Anyone could investigate Wu Tian’s background, with the sole exception of the four years he had vanished.

Without a doubt, those four years were the key. The Jianghu sects, the great families, and even the Head of State mobilized all official resources to investigate, but they still came up with nothing.

The Head of State was the most shocked of all. He had deployed everything at his disposal, including satellites—every official power he could muster—and still found nothing.

Keep in mind that even the Underworld had clues that could be traced. Long ago, rumors circulated that Earth contained a rich subterranean kingdom where beings just like us, the so-called Inner-Earth people, lived beneath the surface.

The emissaries sent by Yao, Shun, and Yu to find Emperor Huang had disappeared so long ago their tracks were lost to time. Likewise, few clues remained from the departures of Xu Fu, Yuan Tiangang, and Dongfang Shuo. Yet, with the advancement of technology, the “Hollow Earth Theory” became a topic of heated debate among scientists worldwide.

Many believed the Earth’s core was hollow. This reasoning was based on calculations of Earth’s volume and mass. With a radius of over 6,400 kilometers and a weight of 5.976 x 10^24 kilograms, it was deduced that the Earth’s core could not possibly be solid. If it was not solid, then what was at the center? Was it empty space or a substance like cotton?

After the United States of America’s satellite, “Yecha-7,” conducted an actual survey of the Arctic, it discovered a sizable opening in the region. Could this be an entrance to the Earth’s interior?

Since then, every kingdom has held more secrets and connections with the Underworld.

The Underworld was mysterious, but it still had clues that could be traced. A determined person could still discover the location of its entrances if they searched hard enough.

But Wu Tian? No matter how they investigated, no one could figure out where he had gone.

The Head of State had intended to continue the investigation, but a piece of news forced him to suspend all action.

This same news also caused the uproar and clamor of discussion within the Dragon Country’s Martial Arts World to reach a new height.

“Have you heard? The Sword Saint from Fusang has set out,” people clamored within many of the Jianghu sects.

“The Sword Saint of Fusang is finally coming? Which region of Dragon Country will he arrive in?”

This was the question that truly concerned the people of the Jianghu sects and the great families.

Take the Shaolin Temple, for example. Outside, the ordinary monks continued to offer incense and worship Buddha. Visitors came and went, making offerings and donating money for lamp oil. It appeared no different from any other temple one might see in a modern city. Although some people practiced martial arts outside, their techniques were nothing more than simple farmer’s exercises.

Within the Shaolin Inner Sect, a group of martial monks was gathered, discussing the impending arrival of the Fusang Sword Saint, when the Abbot of the Inner Sect, Yong Wu, walked out. Clasping his hands in a Buddhist gesture, he said solemnly, “What is all this commotion about? The Sword Saint is coming from the east. What is so surprising about that?”

As soon as Yong Wu finished speaking, the martial monks shook their heads. One of the younger ones spoke up hurriedly, “Master, Master, it used to be that everyone in the Martial Arts World spoke of the Sword Emperor, whose single sword stroke commanded the submission of all others. Now, everyone talks about this Wu Tian, calling him a godlike figure, the Martial Emperor of the Martial Arts World. But what about our Shaolin?”

“Yes, Master. Long, long ago, Shaolin was as revered as Mount Tai and the Big Dipper.”

“In the past, when people spoke of martial arts, they would say that all martial skills originate from Shaolin. But now?”

“Now?” Yong Wu was taken aback, and his expression turned grim. Now, who even knows the name of Shaolin?

Another martial monk spoke up. “Master, there is actually a great opportunity right now to restore Shaolin’s glory.”

“Indeed. I also believe the arrival of the Fusang Sword Saint is a great opportunity for Shaolin.”

“I understand.” Listening to his disciples, Yong Wu grasped their meaning. If they could defeat the Fusang Sword Saint upon his arrival, their fame would increase a hundredfold.

But what if Wu Tian also makes a move? The thought suddenly struck Yong Wu, and his brow furrowed deeply.

“This…” Hearing this, the martial monks were too frightened to speak.

How could they possibly defeat Wu Tian?

“Then let’s offer him something in exchange, in the hopes that he won’t intervene,” said the young martial monk who had spoken first.

“An excellent idea!” the other martial monks immediately exclaimed.

“…” Yong Wu, however, hesitated.

What could possibly matter to Wu Tian? What could we offer to make him agree to stand aside and let Shaolin take this chance?

Yong Wu considered something, but he could not bring himself to make the decision.

“Master, don’t hesitate any longer.”

“Yes, what if the other sects and great families beat us to it?”

As the martial monks persuaded him one by one, Yong Wu finally made up his mind.

It was not just Shaolin. Other Jianghu sects, the Five Surnames and Seven Families, and other great houses all reached the same decision. They would use their treasures to bargain with Wu Tian, asking him not to confront the Fusang Sword Saint and to instead cede the opportunity to them.

「In the Land of Fusang」

On the chaotic shoreline of Sang Hai, where jagged rocks pierced the sky and monstrous waves crashed upon the shore, a man stood alone. He was the Sword Saint of Fusang.

Once a member of the imperial family, he was the foremost prince of Fusang at the age of twenty, full of youthful ambition. He had a wife renowned as the most beautiful woman in all of Dongying. By a stroke of fortune, they were wed and soon had a daughter.

One day, while taking his wife on a leisurely outing, he chanced upon a man selling a blade. He bought that sword. It was the “Ghost Piercing Sword.”

The seller claimed that whoever could wield it would own it, free of charge. However, the fingers of every mundane swordsman who rashly tried to grasp it were shattered by its power. He alone was the exception.

From that day on, he became obsessed with the Sword Dao.

To achieve a spiritual union with the “Ghost Piercing Sword,” he kept vigil before it day and night, forgoing food and sleep. Seeing his neglect, his dejected wife pleaded with him to change his ways and return to their former happy life. Not long after, their daughter starved to death. Yet even this shock failed to sway him.

He believed the “Ghost Piercing Sword” had become his entire life. His despondent wife, in utter despair, sought only death and threw herself upon the demonic blade.

He felt not the slightest sadness over the deaths of his wife and daughter. After pondering for many days, he realized his heart had no room for anything but the “Ghost Piercing Sword.” He had come to understand that wealth and women were merely burdens.

He then dominated Fusang for over twenty years, slaying every great swordsman and defeating every master. With no one left in Fusang to challenge him, he had no choice but to seek the other two “Ghost Piercing Swords.” Afterward, he would journey to the Central Plains to see if anyone there could withstand the might of his “Ghost Piercing Sword.”

“Shinryuma, I have a request for you on this journey,” the Chief Minister, the man who now truly held the reins of power in Fusang, had come specifically to see him.

“Speak.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep