Da Xuan Martial Saint

As Qin Mengjun brought back the carcass of the Heavenly Demon Black Tortoise to the Seven Profound Sect, the Seven Profound Sect's campaign against Han Prefecture finally came to an end.

Once the news spread throughout the Cold North, it truly shocked the world!

Nowadays, the Da Xuan Dynasty is in great turmoil, and though the news of Ice State being attacked has spread throughout Da Xuan, such ordinary strife was not enough to shake all parties. However, the battle of Han Prefecture witnessed a newcomer stepping into the Blood Exchange Realm and ascending to great heights!

In the vast land of Da Xuan Dynasty, across the Ninety-Nine States with a population of tens of billions, the number of people who can truly enter the Eighth Realm of Martial Art Body Tempering and set foot in the Blood Exchange Realm is indeed one in a billion.

Qin Mengjun.

As a top Grandmaster of the Cold North Path, once the youngest and most brilliant prodigy of the Seven Profound Sect, his name was known throughout the Cold North more than twenty or thirty years ago, and he even gained some fame throughout the Da Xuan Dynasty, earning a place on the Grandmaster list of Da Xuan.

But after being injured by a sneak attack, he gradually vanished from the public eye. His name no longer echoed in the world, staying silent for more than a decade, until he once again rose to prominence and became known to all in a single day!

Looking at the world,

Any person in the Blood Exchange Realm is a character whose achievements overshadow the exceptional, and at any time, such individuals are not to be underestimated; even during the heyday of the Da Xuan Dynasty Court, those in the Blood Exchange Realm were given a certain level of respect.

This is a status brought by absolute power!

Compared to Qin Mengjun's ascension to the Blood Exchange Realm, the topics of the Sky Demon Sect's Main Altar being breached or the slaughter of a Mystic Tortoise or the death of the Wu Gu Marquis of the Uumeng tribe garnered much less attention. Almost all eyes turned briefly to the Eleven States of the Cold North Path, focusing solely on the person of Qin Mengjun.

…

Xuan State.

In the center of Xuan State Government Office, amidst a solemn and awe-inspiring cluster of buildings, a figure clad in a Mysterious Robe stood atop a tall tower, gazing deep into the direction of Ice State and Yu State.

"Though delayed by more than a decade, has he ultimately still taken that step?"

"Indeed, the destiny cannot be defied. The Seven Profound Sect is truly flourishing."

He sighed softly.

In truth, destiny can be defied, but it's exceedingly difficult to do so, and often things happen beyond what's expected.

More than a decade ago, when Qin Mengjun's advance to the Blood Exchange Realm was thwarted, and his Mysterious Pass was damaged, it seemed as though the established destiny of the Seven Profound Sect had been utterly overturned. But unexpectedly, Qin Mengjun still shone brilliantly, and after more than a decade, his injuries were fully healed, allowing him to cross that threshold once again.

Now, with the Seven Profound Sect having two in the Blood Exchange Realm, the difficulty of contending with the Seven Profound Sect has greatly increased, even for the North Garrison Government to take Yu State. They would proceed with caution and not act rashly.

In fact,

If not for Qin Mengjun's subsequent rise, relying solely on Yin Heng, and after another ten years or so when the Seven Profound Sect had no subsequent Blood Exchange Realm successors, they would likely have caved in to a bit of pressure from the North Garrison Government, most likely not offering any resistance.

But with a newly succeeded Blood Exchange Realm successor, that changes everything. Qin Mengjun is much younger than Yin Heng, and for at least a hundred years to come, as long as Qin Mengjun lives, no force will engage in a fight to the death with the Seven Profound Sect.

Even if the North Garrison Government wishes to unify the Cold North in the future, and their armies pressure the boundaries, they would leave the Seven Profound Sect with a way out and not arrogantly proclaim 'Controlled by me, you flourish; against me, you perish.' They would leave some room for maneuver.

This is the status of a Blood Exchange Realm existence!

By comparison,

Other figures simply don't count for much. Even Chen Mu, who recently killed three Demon Venerables in succession and ascended to the third place on the Wind Cloud List, renowned in the Cold North, is merely a somewhat brighter piece of greenery.

Even if Chen Mu could truly enter the Marrow Cleansing Realm in the future and become the tenth Qiankun Grandmaster since the founding of Da Xuan a thousand years ago, he would only be at the pinnacle among Grandmasters and still a world apart from those in the Blood Exchange Realm. He still wouldn't be considered the foundation of a great sect!

Only those in the Blood Exchange Realm like Yin Heng and Qin Mengjun are the confidence for a power to stand unyielding in times of chaos.

It so happens,

Chen Mu is a disciple of Qin Mengjun.

Though destiny and fortune are ethereal, they truly exist in the world. When one person's fortunes are long and prosperous, even their destiny can gradually affect those around them. In the past, Chen Mu's sudden rise within the Seven Profound Sect seemed mysterious, but now, it appears that Qin Mengjun's destiny has always been present, and his fortune remains long, which explains the surprising rise of such a disciple as Chen Mu.

…

Somewhere in Ice State.

Amidst the snow-white world, a figure in green-clothes walked through the snow with a sword on his back. Suddenly, he lifted his right hand, and a talisman flew through the air, falling into his grasp just as his two fingers caught it.

Jiang Changsheng held the talisman before his eyes, and after just a glance, he paused briefly.

Hiss!

The snowflakes falling around him, thousands upon thousands of them, suddenly froze silently in place. Then, starting from the center, they quietly split apart, and within a radius of one zhang from his body, the snowflakes discreetly turned into even finer particles of ice.

"Qin Mengjun..."

Jiang Changsheng soon closed his eyes slightly.

When he opened his eyes again, the suspended snowflakes resumed their descent.

He had once contended with Qin Mengjun, but always fell short by a step. By the time he finally reached the top ranks of Grandmasters, confident in surpassing Qin Mengjun, Qin Mengjun had already been attacked in the shadows and failed in his Blood Exchange advancement.

He had thought there would be no chance to battle Qin Mengjun again or, to put it another way, defeating her after she had suffered damage to her Mysterious Pass and sustained injuries would be meaningless. There was always a bit of regret in his heart.

Unexpectedly,

Qin Mengjun managed to heal the injuries to her Mysterious Pass and Soul Heart within a decade and her cultivation had not regressed at all. Taking advantage of this opportunity, as if to break through and then rebuild, she seemed to defeat life and death and thus crossed over the bottleneck he had been seeking to break for so long.

"Very well."

Jiang Changsheng gently crushed the talisman in his hand.

Qin Mengjun's breakthrough and subsequent entry into the Blood Exchange Realm was also a fortunate matter for him. After his own ascension to the Blood Exchange Realm in the future, he would be able to resume their past battle, bringing a conclusion to their many years of rivalry.

After all, if he were to step into the Blood Exchange Realm in the future and face only older generations of Blood Exchange individuals with no peers to challenge him, that would surely be a matter of regret.

...

Hehuan Sect, Blood Hidden Pavilion, End of the World Sea Pavilion...

The news of Qin Mengjun's ascension to the Blood Exchange Realm shone like a beam piercing through night, swiftly spreading everywhere and shocking all the major forces.

Even Yuan Hong, the King of North Garrison, furrowed his brows for a long time upon hearing this news.

Though all those who step into the Blood Exchange Realm are extraordinary, Qin Mengjun, who had always been an exceptional talent and a top Grandmaster, had managed to slay a Heavenly Demon Black Tortoise shortly after her initial steps into the Blood Exchange Realm. Even if this Black Tortoise had been imprisoned and weakened for a hundred years, it confirmed Qin Mengjun's strength, ensuring that she would definitely not be a weakling in the Blood Exchange Realm.

Having such a person become the new Supreme of the Seven Profound Sect and another pillar was not exactly good news for him.

...

The emergence of a Blood Exchange Realm individual was naturally not confined to the Cold North.

After all, even the titles of some powerful Grandmasters were known beyond the Cold North Path, making their way to other states of the Da Xuan Dynasty, not to mention the Blood Exchange, an existence that could attract the attention of the world upon emergence.

Jingji Road.

Central Prefecture.
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As the most prosperous and flourishing state within the entire Da Xuan Dynasty, and the core among the Ninety-Nine States, Central Prefecture is located right in the middle of the Dynasty. The population of this single state almost surpasses that of several remote states like Ice State.

And it is in the central part of Central Prefecture where the Imperial City and hence the Imperial Court of the Da Xuan Dynasty are located, within the most grand and imposing part of the Imperial City.

Inside the Imperial City.

Passing through the solemn and dignified, towering stone walls, winding through a series of corridors, a quiet and refined courtyard lay within. A figure stood silently in front of a jade-crafted rockery, draped in a long black robe highlighted with threads of gold and delicately embroidered with dragon patterns.

"Your Highness, the King of Jin,"

Another figure appeared silently within the courtyard, walked up to the man in the black python robe, bowed respectfully, and then handed over a talisman.

The man addressed as 'King of Jin' turned around, revealing a handsome face with eyes like stars twinkling in the dark night sky. He took the talisman, quickly opened it, and glanced at it.

Afterward.

He also gently crushed the talisman, grinding it to dust between his fingertips.

"Qin Mengjun..."

The King of Jin's gaze returned to the White Jade rockery, murmuring to himself quietly.

The Qin Family of Yu State shared some distant connections with his maternal side, stretching back over a century. He had paid attention to Qin Mengjun many years ago because she had risen rapidly within the Seven Profound Sect and was one of the outstanding geniuses of the Cold North at that time. Her cultivation advanced unimpeded, even to the point of entering the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

At that time, he had contemplated an alliance with the Qin Family through marriage, given Qin Mengjun's capabilities, she was more than qualified to be one of his concubines and it could also bring him closer to the Seven Profound Sect. However, Central Prefecture and Yu State were ultimately too far apart, and such things could not be accomplished overnight.

He couldn't spare the time in Central Prefecture.

By the time he was free to pursue the matter, news came that Qin Mengjun had been ambushed and failed to break through to the Blood Exchange Realm, sustaining damage to her Mysterious Pass and Soul Heart, so the matter was ultimately put on hold indefinitely.

It was unexpected that, after more than a decade, Qin Mengjun had finally healed the injuries to her Soul Heart and stepped into the Blood Exchange Realm.

Blood Exchange.

This was different from before.

There were many Grandmasters in the world, but only a few in the Blood Exchange Realm. Even in the prosperous Central Prefecture, any individual in the Blood Exchange Realm possessed an extraordinary status. Even as the King of Jin, the person closest to the throne, he would have to approach them with great deference.

At least now, the possibility of accepting Qin Mengjun as a concubine was out of the question, and the position of principal consort couldn't be changed either. However, the current situation in Jingji Road was a tangled mess. Yuan Hong's ambitions were known to all, and based on what he knew, there was no force in Jingji Road that could outmatch Yuan Hong.

The Seven Profound Sect and Qin Mengjun would sooner or later have to make a choice.

When that time came, there would be opportunities to bring the influence of the Seven Profound Sect under his command.

It might seem as though there was turmoil all over the world, with the Ziwu star dimming, but in reality, everything was just surface-level. The biggest problem facing the Imperial Court of the Da Xuan Dynasty was not external but internal. Once he could secure his place on the throne at an early date and stabilize the internal strife with thunderous measures, someone like Yuan Hong, under the glorious might of the Imperial Court, would amount to nothing at all.