Chapter 234: The Olive Branch of Tianwei Sword Domain

"Ling Jie of Heavenly Sword Villa concedes! Yun Che of the Azure Wind Imperial Family wins and advances to tomorrow's final battle!"Ling Wugou stood stunned for three full breaths. After glancing sideways at Ling Yuefeng, he announced the result in a voice filled with profound astonishment.

Clap… clap, clap, clap, clap…From the edge of the Sword Discourse Arena, a resounding applause suddenly erupted. It started with a few scattered claps, then quickly spread to a small section… then a large one… and eventually almost everyone, including some sect elders, stood up, their faces glowing with admiration as they applauded.

In the history of the Ranking Tournament, applause after a brilliant duel was common, but such fervent, arena-shaking applause was extremely rare. However, this battle certainly deserved the roar of acclaim. Many attending sects hadn't achieved their ideal rankings, but having witnessed this battle firsthand, they all felt "fortunate to have come." They had personally seen the grace of the Heavenly Sword and the might of the heavy sword, and more importantly, they had witnessed the first clash between two young men destined to become future emperors of Azure Wind.

And now, recalling that one was only sixteen and the other seventeen, one with Profound strength at the sixth level of the Spirit Profound Realm and the other merely at the tenth level of the True Profound Realm, everyone's hearts trembled uncontrollably.

Ling Wugou's declaration of his victory and the arena's thunderous applause echoed in Yun Che's ears, yet no excitement showed on his face. Instead, he silently gazed at the half-shattered Overlord's Colossal Sword in his hand. The remaining half of the sword was now covered in intricate cracks. A gentle breeze swept by, rustling Yun Che's hair and carrying away fragments of the colossal sword's broken blade…

Piece by piece, dark fragments continuously fell from the sword, scattering at Yun Che's feet. Finally, all that remained in his hand was a heavy hilt.The Overlord's Colossal Sword, which once dominated battlefields and earned its name, had finally met its end today, in Yun Che's hands.

Yun Che knelt down and carefully gathered all the fragments, ensuring not a single piece was left behind. Finally, he placed the hilt into the Sky Poison Pearl. Seeing Yun Che's empty hands and an expression he couldn't quite describe, Ling Jie, who had slowly approached, felt a pang of embarrassment. As a swordsman, he knew better than anyone what it meant to cherish one's sword—it was almost like family. After a long moment of hesitation, he mumbled awkwardly, "Uh, ah, B-Boss… there are quite a few heavy swords over at the Sword-Forging Platform, three or four of them are Earth Profound grade. I… I… I'll compensate you. It's fine even if you want to take them all."

As soon as he spoke, Ling Jie resolved that if Yun Che truly wanted all the Earth Profound heavy swords, he would find a way to fulfill Yun Che's wish, even if his father objected.

"No need," Yun Che said with a casual smile. "I told you before, it was your skill that destroyed it, so there's no need to feel guilty or anything. So, are you convinced now?"

Seeing his genuine, unreserved smile, Ling Jie felt relieved, his earlier apprehension replaced by a warm feeling. "Hehe, I'm convinced, completely convinced! My mouth is convinced, my heart is convinced, my entire body is convinced! From now on, you're my Boss Yun! Ahh… Boss! How did you do it? You're only at the tenth level of the True Profound Realm, yet you're so powerful! Six months ago, your strength was clearly far behind mine, but now you can utterly dominate me! And your body, how did you train it? It's harder than rock… And, Boss, my dad said heavy swords are the least promising weapons, so why do you use yours so powerfully? After fighting you, even I'm starting to think about training with a heavy sword…"

Ling Jie's several calls of "Boss" were heartfelt and smooth. He looked at Yun Che, his eyes shining, as a string of questions poured out, each one he desperately wanted answers to. However, Yun Che only replied to the last one: "Heavy swords are the most suitable weapon for me, but not for most people. You absolutely shouldn't get a hot head and start trying to use a heavy sword."

"Hehe…" Ling Jie chuckled foolishly. Of course, he had only said it casually.

Ling Jie's profound energy was depleted, and Yun Che practically half-supported him as they walked off the Sword Discourse Arena. At this moment, Ling Kun, who had been unusually still, slowly rose from his seat, his gaze turning towards Yun Che. On the vast Sword Discourse Arena, his movement was almost imperceptible, yet under the pull of an inexplicable aura, everyone in the audience unconsciously looked at him. His sudden standing made everyone's heart skip a beat.

Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, a sacred, distant, almost mythical existence to them. The applause instantly ceased, and the entire Sword Discourse Arena became so silent that a pin drop could be heard. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what this master from the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect would do.

"Young man, your name is Yun Che, correct?" Ling Kun looked at Yun Che, smiling genially, his voice very gentle.

Yun Che paused, a flicker of surprise in his heart. He nodded slightly, responding neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Yes, this junior is Yun Che. May I ask what instructions Senior Ling has for me?"

"Are you currently a disciple of the Profound Palace established by the Azure Wind Imperial Family?" Ling Kun asked.

"Yes."

Ling Kun slowly nodded, then uttered a statement that shook the heavens: "Then, would you be interested in joining my Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect?"

Every word of Ling Kun's question echoed like a clap of thunder in everyone's ears. Qin Wushang was stunned, Cang Yue was stunned, and even Ling Yuefeng stood frozen. A look of profound shock appeared on the face of every single person in the arena.

The Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, was the supreme existence on the Profound Sky Continent. Those who could enter the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect were all at the peak of their generation. It was no exaggeration to say that even a gatekeeper at the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect could become a renowned sect master in the Azure Wind Empire, with a status surpassing that of an emperor! Many of the young profound practitioners present were geniuses, yet none had ever dared to dream of entering one of the Four Great Sacred Grounds, not even Ling Yun.

Among the Seven Nations of the Profound Sky, the Azure Wind Empire had the smallest territory, the weakest national power, and was the furthest nation from the Four Great Sacred Grounds. The names of the Four Great Sacred Grounds were known to them only through legends; most people would never come into contact with them even slightly in their entire lives. But now, this legendary, mythical Sacred Ground had actively extended an olive branch to a seventeen-year-old boy.

Numerous gazes converged on Yun Che… shock, envy, awe, jealousy, disbelief. At the Burning Heaven Clan's seating, Fen Juecheng's face turned incredibly grim. Severely injuring Fen Juebi, shaming the Burning Heaven Clan, and touching his forbidden scale had filled him with rage and humiliation. Yun Che had long been marked for death by him. But, if Yun Che were to become a member of the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, let alone Fen Juecheng, even his father, Fen Duahun, would have to treat him with utmost politeness, even three parts respect. No one in the entire Azure Wind Empire would dare to offend him. Even if Fen Juecheng had a thousand percent certainty he could kill Yun Che, he would absolutely, definitely not dare to make a move… killing someone from the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect would be dragging the entire Burning Heaven Clan to its demise!

"The Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect… that's a place I wouldn't even dare to dream of," Qin Wushang exclaimed, his face full of wonder. "Even the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect has actively favored him. His future is now completely beyond my prediction. With his talent, he is simply not suited for the small Azure Wind Profound Palace. Perhaps only the Four Great Sacred Grounds are truly worthy places for him to stay. Perhaps soon, simply knowing him will be something I can be proud of my entire life, hehehehe."

While Qin Wushang smiled gently, Cang Yue's emotions were a complex mix. The olive branch extended by the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect was enough to make every profound practitioner in the world go mad with envy and jealousy. She was delighted for Yun Che, yet at the same time, a deep sense of loss and unease arose within her. He was only seventeen, yet he already had the qualifications to enter that dream-like realm; his future was entirely unpredictable. The gap between them would soon be vast. Could she ever be worthy of him? If he went to the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, would he ever return to this small place, the Azure Wind Empire?

Ling Jie, standing beside Yun Che, opened his mouth wide, then excitedly turned to Yun Che and exclaimed, "Boss, the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect! The Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect! That's a Sacred Ground! That's amazing, Boss, you're truly incredible!"

Yun Che's brows twitched. He did not show the wild elation people expected; his face merely held a surprising calm. Taking a step forward, he politely said, "I am deeply grateful for Senior Ling's high regard for this junior. However, I am currently an inner palace disciple of the Azure Wind Profound Palace and have no immediate plans to leave. Moreover, I still have many unresolved grievances here. Although my heart yearns for it, I cannot bring myself to leave… I can only offer my sincere thanks for Senior Ling's kindness and good intentions."

Yun Che's answer completely defied people's expectations. Their eyes widened, and they all wondered if Yun Che had gone mad. He had actually refused an invitation from the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect—something countless people wouldn't even dare to dream of! Instead, he was willing to remain in the small Azure Wind Profound Palace! This was an answer only an idiot or a lunatic would give.

Ling Kun, however, was not angered; instead, he smiled calmly. "Heheheh, good! Though young, you are neither arrogant nor impatient, neither flustered nor presumptuous. This is truly rare. The reason I wished to bring you into the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect is not because of the talent and aptitude you've displayed. While your talent might be astonishing in this nation, within the Sacred Grounds, it wouldn't even be considered mediocre. What I value is your perfect mastery of the heavy sword… The Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect once had a heavy sword lineage, but it eventually declined. You, however, have shown me hope for the heavy sword. It's not convenient for me to ask who your master is, but if you join the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, you might be able to revitalize the heavy sword lineage. If you can achieve that, it's certainly not impossible for you to become an elder-level figure in the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect in the future."

*Hiss…*The words "elder-level figure in the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect" made many secretly gasp. That was a person even Heavenly Sword Villa Master Ling Yuefeng wasn't qualified to meet.

Yun Che remained very calm, answering directly without hesitation, "This junior will bear Senior Ling's generous offer in mind. Once my grievances here are settled, I will certainly give this matter serious consideration."

"Good!" Ling Kun was still not angered; instead, he nodded approvingly. "I greatly admire your character. In that case, I won't force you. Come, take this!"

With a flick of Ling Kun's finger, a fist-sized, dark purple jade stone flew out smoothly and was caught by Yun Che.

Ling Kun withdrew his hand and said lightly, "This is a special sound transmission stone that allows you to communicate directly with me within a range of 300,000 li. When you decide to join my Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, use it to send me a message, and I will guide you to the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect, then take you to meet the Sword Master. I believe the Sword Master will be immensely interested in your heavy sword mastery."

Despite being rejected twice by Yun Che, Ling Kun not only showed no anger but even left him the sound transmission jade. This level of favor was incredibly significant, making many people's eyes nearly bleed with envy. However, Ling Kun was supremely confident that Yun Che would contact him voluntarily one day soon… an olive branch from the Heavenly Sovereign Sword Sect was a temptation no young profound practitioner could possibly resist.