Chapter 104: Heavenly Sword Sacred Land

"Over thirty sects in the Northern Barrens were wiped out within seven days by a top-tier expert? And a master of the sword, no less?"

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, the information is accurate; the royal family has personally confirmed it. Furthermore, the Great Xia Dynasty has dispatched 300,000 troops, advancing towards the Northern Barrens. It seems Xiong Rui has truly angered the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty this time."

The Grand Elder paced around the hall, pondering countermeasures.

The Heavenly Sword Sacred Land had always been the greatest backing for the various factions in the Northern Barrens, and the fundamental reason why the entire region had stood proudly in a corner of Qizhou for thousands of years.

It was important to know that the entire continent only had ten Sacred Lands in total. Each Sacred Land possessed an enduring legacy spanning tens of thousands of years, with a scale and power far beyond what ordinary small sects could match.

Yet now, the Northern Barrens was at war with the Great Xia Dynasty, implying that the dynasty was no longer showing deference to the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land. This greatly displeased the Sacred Land.

Even with the Great Xia Dynasty's profound heritage, it was still considered insignificant in the face of a Sacred Land. However, the current Xia Emperor had reached his limit and was determined to completely eradicate the border threats from the Northern Barrens, making a fierce battle unavoidable.

"Grand Elder, in my opinion, the Great Xia Dynasty seems to believe its power has fully matured. It's necessary to send some people to rein them in."

Below the dais, a grey-robed elder spoke softly; he was also one of the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land's elders.

"Exactly, I concur. Although our Sacred Land's Ten Elders are currently in secluded cultivation, our current generation's strength is more than enough to handle the Great Xia Dynasty. Let's send a hundred-member sword corps of Cavern Heaven Realm experts, accompanied by several Nascent Soul Realm elders, to give them a stark warning!"

Similar voices echoed one after another from below the dais.

It was crucial to understand that the Ten Great Sacred Lands held a transcendent status on the continent, each possessing an irresistible aura of authority. While imperial dynasties were indeed major powers in the mortal world, in the eyes of these cultivation Sacred Lands, they were nothing more than a swarm of ants, utterly unqualified to contend with cultivators, let alone defy the Sacred Lands' prestige. To do so would result in utter annihilation.

The presiding Grand Elder, hands clasped behind his back, eventually gave a slight nod: "A mere Great Xia Dynasty is not something I pay much attention to. The only thing that puzzles me is the identity of that powerful expert who managed to wipe out dozens of our Northern Barrens sects in just a few days. If this individual is the reason the Great Xia Dynasty feels bold enough to challenge us, then we must take precautions."

"Ling Yao, where are you?"

At the Grand Elder's summons, a woman clad entirely in a long white dress, her face as cold as frost, suddenly appeared in the hall.

This was precisely Ling Yao, the Sword Fanatic among the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land's Seven Sword Prodigies of the younger generation. She was also the Grand Elder's most prized closed-door disciple, having achieved mastery in the way of the sword at such a young age, with her cultivation having already broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

From this alone, the profound heritage of a Sacred Land was utterly astonishing!

Even among the younger generation, Nascent Soul Realm experts were not uncommon, let alone the elders and the 'living fossils' who defended the Sacred Land's honor.

"Master, what are your orders?"

"I order you to depart immediately, infiltrate the Great Xia Dynasty's imperial court, and be ready to rendezvous with the Sacred Land's envoys at any time. Simultaneously, investigate the identity of the mysterious expert who entered the Northern Barrens."

Ling Yao's eyes sharpened, and she nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "Understood!"

Atop the vast sky, a brilliant silver light, like a long rainbow, flashed and vanished. Ling Yao departed, riding her sword through the air.

"Elders Three and Five, my junior brothers, you will depart in three days with a hundred-member sword corps. Representing the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land, you are to 'greet' the Great Xia Dynasty, especially their presumptuous Emperor. I'd like to see who gave that fellow the audacity to launch such a large-scale invasion of our Northern Barrens!"

"Understood!"

***

For a time, turmoil erupted among the various factions of the Northern Barrens!

Countless eyes converged on this place.

The news of the Sacred Land's actions spread like wildfire, causing an uproar across the land. Naturally, it also reached the Great Xia Dynasty, informing everyone.

After receiving the news, the Emperor remained relatively calm, but he understood that such a decisive response from the Sacred Land meant that the conflict was bound to intensify sooner or later.

Since the decision had already been made to eliminate the Xiong Rui lineage of the Northern Barbarians, the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land would eventually become an enemy.

If they were enemies, they should be eradicated as soon as possible!

"My two imperial sons, what are your thoughts on the Sacred Land's stance?"

The Fifth Prince and the Eighth Prince exchanged glances, their expressions particularly solemn, revealing no obvious thoughts on the surface.

"Imperial Father, the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land has protected the Northern Barrens for a millennium. It is precisely because of the existence of this formidable power that the Northern Barrens has dared to repeatedly and wantonly invade our northern borders. Even if the Sacred Land possesses profound heritage, if we allow them to act as they please, where will the prestige of our Great Xia lie?"

The Eighth Prince was not afraid of war. His temperament was much like that of his beautiful and captivating Consort Mother: fiery, decisive, and straightforward. Since they would eventually become adversaries, it was better to seize the opportunity for a full-scale battle.

In contrast, the Fifth Prince was more conservative.

As the legitimate son born to the Empress, the Fifth Prince always approached his deliberations from the perspective of the dynasty's own advantages and disadvantages.

"Reporting to Imperial Father, your son believes we should not rashly engage in war with the Sacred Land. The Sacred Land's strength is not comparable to Xiong Rui's, and severing ties with the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land would bring us no benefit. However, since Xiong Rui must be eliminated, I suggest we could replace the various Northern Barrens factions and cooperate strongly with the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land to achieve a win-win situation."

As soon as the Fifth Prince's strategy was voiced, the Eighth Prince immediately grew angry and retorted on the spot.

"Fifth Brother! Are you suggesting that our Great Xia Dynasty should become the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land's dog?"

"Heh, while your words, Eighth Brother, are harsh, you should understand that even if one is a dog, at least there's a doghouse for shelter from the wind and rain, and at least a bone to chew on. But if we openly fall out with the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land, one of the Ten Great Sacred Lands on the continent, can you imagine the consequences?"

"You!"

The brothers glared at each other, until the Emperor, growing weary, finally spoke: "Both of you, calm down."

"I naturally understand what you both mean. Our national prestige cannot be lost, but the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land's heritage is also not something we can currently contend with. This dilemma requires finding a suitable leverage point to resolve it."

"Leverage point..."

The Emperor's phrase seemed to instantly enlighten both princes.

"Imperial Father! Regarding this leverage point you mentioned, there is someone I'd like to recommend."

As soon as the Fifth Prince spoke, the Eighth Prince also reacted immediately, but he was ultimately a step too late.

Now, both princes had an opportunity to make a request to Xu Yang. If they could help Great Xia avert this crisis in their own name, their chances of succession would greatly increase.

"Who?"

"The strongest expert in Tianwu Commandery, the former leader of the Tianlan Sect—Xu Yang!"