Chapter 1209: One Call, A Hundred Responses

All the princes gathered on the mid-slope of Seven Absolutes Mountain, awaiting Xu Yang's victorious return and the outcome they eagerly anticipated: the Fourth Prince, escorted and reduced to a prisoner.

They recalled a time when the Fourth Prince, relying on the Seven Absolutes Mountain Sword Sect, had arrogantly lectured them, the other princes. Now, contemplating his impending imprisonment, the princes felt a strange mix of emotions. Especially Prince Qi and his brothers, who had deep-seated conflicts with the Fourth Prince, secretly wished Xu Yang would simply execute him. However, it wasn't long before, as the heroes and princes saw Xu Yang descending from the peak of Seven Absolutes Mountain, everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.

Even Prince Wu instinctively raised an eyebrow in surprise. Although they hadn't meticulously planned every detail of the operation beforehand, Prince Wu found the decision to let the Fourth Prince go rather puzzling. At least for now, he couldn't grasp Xu Yang's deeper reasoning.

Sure enough, Xu Yang, a man whose mere stomp seemed to make the entire Seven Absolutes Mountain tremble, was approached by the First Prince, who nervously leaned in and whispered a question.

“May I ask, Lord Xu Yang, what is the situation with my Fourth Brother? Has he perhaps already been… dealt with by you?”

Xu Yang smiled and gently shook his head. “No matter what, he is still the Fourth Prince of the current dynasty. I, Xu Yang, would not dare to simply execute a prince. Your Highness, you worry too much. The Fourth Prince is well now. He has agreed to withdraw from all worldly disputes and stay with his mother here on Seven Absolutes Mountain, where he will live out his days in peace.”

As Xu Yang finished speaking, to prove his words and also to provide a clear resolution for the Fourth Prince, he produced the Royal Command Token from his hand and displayed it for everyone present. Upon seeing the token, the princes felt somewhat reassured, because handing over this Royal Command Token meant withdrawing from the succession struggle. Presumably, only Prince Qi was still in the dark, unaware that his own Prince of Qin Command Token had been given to Xu Yang by his beloved daughter.

With the Fourth Prince's Royal Command Token now in hand, only the First Prince's and Second Prince's tokens remained undelivered to Xu Yang and Prince Wu. However, it was only a matter of time for them. Upon seeing the Royal Command Token in Xu Yang's hand, the First Prince finally sighed helplessly. “Ah well, my Fourth Brother spent most of his early life struggling blindly for that goal. Now, being able to settle down peacefully is a blessing for him. After all, few people on the Yingzhou Continent can suppress all their desires. To reach his level of contentment is a role model for our generation.”

The First Prince's words were somewhat peculiar. Wasn't he, in a subtle way, implying that the other princes should abandon their claims to the throne as soon as possible? After all, nominally, the First Prince was the most likely successor. The principle of primogeniture was also highly regarded on the Yingzhou Continent. Of course, with the withdrawal of the Fourth Prince, a strong contender, the First Prince was likely the most inwardly pleased person at the moment. His chances of inheriting the throne had significantly increased. However, from this day forward, the First Prince's target might shift to someone else. And that person would undoubtedly be Prince Wu, who possessed the greatest overall strength and the protection of the formidable Xu Yang.

“My Fourth Brother has made his choice. So, what should our next step be?” the First Prince exclaimed, his gaze sweeping over the princes around him, their expressions growing more serious. “In my opinion, the most prudent approach is to report the full details of this matter to Father Emperor and let him make the final decision. After all, what fate awaits my Fourth Brother will only be set in stone once Father Emperor personally pronounces it. We, his brothers, ultimately cannot decide his future.”

In reality, the First Prince was merely seeking psychological reassurance. His constant invocation of Father Emperor was simply a way to subtly pressure the other princes, and to remind them that he, as the eldest brother, was the primary candidate for the throne. Naturally, the other princes had no objection. Regardless of hierarchy or status, the eldest brother was expected to take the lead. More importantly, the First Prince commanded the deepest influence among all princes within the imperial court. His intervention meant the Seven Absolutes Mountain Sword Sect would likely achieve a relatively stable outcome.

“My friends from the cultivation world, with Lord Xu Yang's help, the Seven Absolutes Mountain lineage has been spared disaster almost entirely through his singular effort. Without his intervention, those monstrous individuals dwelling within the Seven Absolutes Mountain would have wiped us all out. Sword Saint Jian Yunqing, who harbored ill intentions, has now been completely stripped of his title. Lord Xu Yang will take his place. From today onwards, he is the First Sword Saint of the Yingzhou Continent. I trust none of you have any objections to this, do you?”

The First Prince was quite adept at seizing opportunities. He brazenly took control of a narrative that should have been Xu Yang's to manage. It was unclear whether he craved the feeling of commanding widespread obedience or if his desire to control the situation was simply too strong. In any case, Xu Yang said little, allowing the First Prince to set the tone from the mid-slope.

“Haha, Your Highness jokes! Soon, the name ‘Sword Saint Xu Yang’ will likely spread across the entire Yingzhou Continent. We have all witnessed Lord Xu Yang's strength firsthand; it is truly astonishing, god-like. If there truly are legendary gods in this world, then Lord Xu Yang is the only god in my heart. At the very least, he is worthy of the title ‘God of Swords’.”

“Haha! My bearded brother speaks wisely! After all, the title of ‘Sword Saint’ belonged to Jian Yunqing, or rather, the strongest practitioners of the former Seven Absolutes Mountain Sword Sect lineage. But now, my elder brother Xu Yang has clearly surpassed the entire legacy of the Seven Absolutes Mountain Sword Sect in terms of strength. To still call him merely a ‘Sword Saint’ would be an understatement for my elder brother.”

Crab, that fellow, also joined in, setting the pace. Surprisingly, after listening to his persuasive words, the surrounding sword cultivators found his reasoning quite sound.