Time flowed like water, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Throughout this month, nothing major occurred across Nine Provinces. The only event that drew universal attention was the Sword Duel on the Virtual Arena.
At first, only some unknown Grandmasters stepped onto the arena.
But halfway through the month, Great Grandmasters began to take the stage one after another.
Especially renowned figures from various nations and major sects. None of them wanted to miss this rare opportunity.
Whether or not they could make it onto the ranking was secondary.
To them, the chance to face off against the top sword cultivators of Nine Provinces was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Besides, there was no real danger to life.
By the end of the month, countless sword duels had taken place in the arena.
The people of Nine Provinces were utterly amazed.
From the Qin Dynasty, Wei Zhuang, Xiao Meng, Fu Nian, and Xiao Yaozi all stepped up to show their skill.
From the Han Dynasty, Bu Jingyun, Jian Chen, and other young cultivators also stood out.
The Tang Dynasty, Northern Song Dynasty, and Southern Song Dynasty were no less impressive, each producing waves of talented individuals.
The number of powerful sword cultivators far exceeded expectations.
Even though the Yuan Dynasty had suffered heavy losses during the last expedition to the Heaven Mocking Palace, they still had a few Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters to send forth.
As for the Ming Dynasty, there was no need to even mention it. Yan Shisan, Xie Xiaofeng, Ximen Chuixue, and even Yan Nantian all appeared.
The people of Nine Provinces were beginning to realize just how many cultivator sword cultivators the Ming Dynasty possessed.
Even nations like the Qing Dynasty, Liao Kingdom, Jin Kingdom, and Great Li Kingdom didn't miss the chance to step into the spotlight.
Of course, not everyone was willing to step onto the arena.
Some women such as Song Yuhua, You Ruo, and Shi Feixuan clearly knew that with their level of swordsmanship, they could easily be selected for the Sword Ancestor Ranking.
But in the end, they chose to withdraw.
Their battlefield would be in the Imperial Harem, not the rivers and lakes of Nine Provinces.
What did the Sword Ancestor Ranking matter to them?
It was the Land Immortal Realm that they truly pursued.
That scoundrel of a man was their real target.
In comparison, the Sword Ancestor Ranking wasn't worth mentioning.
These women were smart and not easy to deal with.
In the future, Zhu Houzhao's life would be full of both joy and trouble.
As for Zhu Houzhao himself, he had spent five days in the Sword Tomb with Murong Xisheng.
Eventually, he reluctantly returned to the Imperial Palace.
Fortunately, with his level of cultivation, seeing her again was merely a matter of a few steps.
That was the privilege of a Sage Realm cultivator.
If the people of Nine Provinces found out that Zhu Houzhao had been using his Sage Realm strength to secretly meet with his many lovers, they would be utterly speechless.
But up to this point, no one had discovered the identity of the mysterious Sage Realm figure.
With Zhu Houzhao's One Leaf Obscure the Heavens, even Heaven Dao could be fooled.
Let alone the mere cultivators of Nine Provinces.
At the same time, another great joy came to Zhu Houzhao.
His Consorts in the Imperial Harem had all been elevated in status one by one.
These days, Zhu Houzhao spent each night in a different Consort's palace, living a life of leisure.
And as for his beloved women, he showered them with even more affection.
Not only did he help them solve difficult problems in their cultivation, but he also did not restrict their contact with their respective forces outside the palace.
Of course, such privileges were only granted to a few select individuals like Murong Qiudi.
As for those clearly harboring ulterior motives, they were not granted such favor.
As his women, they received the full treatment they deserved. In fact, rewards and gifts were regularly increased.
But when it came to contacting their home nations or leaking information that would harm the Ming Dynasty, such things were absolutely forbidden.
Zhu Houzhao had even secretly instructed his Dark Guard to drive wedges between the Consorts and the powers backing them.
There might not be any visible results in the short term.
But over time, these women would inevitably become estranged from their homelands.
Since they were his women, both their bodies and hearts must belong to him alone.
Anyone wanting to play spy had better work on their skills.
==========
Ming Imperial Palace, Imperial Harem.
Zhu Houzhao was currently in Murong Qiudi Palace. Lin Shiyin, You Ruo, and Song Yuhua were all present.
With the time they had spent together recently, along with Zhu Houzhao's sweet words and tender care, the resentment in their hearts had significantly faded.
Moreover, he often came by to teach them personally and guide them in their cultivation.
In a short period of time, they had made rapid progress, which thrilled them beyond measure.
Even Murong Qiudi, known for her cunning mind, found herself completely outmatched.
In every way, she had been thoroughly overwhelmed.
Their relationships had returned to how they were before.
Or perhaps, even closer than before.
"Qiudi, between those two in the arena, who do you think is stronger?" Zhu Houzhao asked, seated in the palace garden with the women as they sipped tea and watched the high-altitude sword duel.
"I believe it is Ximen Chuixue." Murong Qiudi answered calmly.
"Sister Qiudi, I think it's Feng Qingyang. His swordsmanship is quite good." Lin Shiyin offered.
"Maybe in the future Ximen Chuixue will surpass him, but for now, he hasn't fully matured."
"Oh? You Ruo, what do you think?" Zhu Houzhao asked with a smile.
"I also think it's Ximen Chuixue. Even if Feng Qingyang has mastered his Sword Techniques, they are not truly his own." You Ruo replied.
"The gap between them will only widen in the future. Even now, within ten moves, Feng Qingyang will surely lose."
You Ruo had sharp insight and immediately spotted Feng Qingyang's weakness.
"Yuhua, what about you?"
"Ximen Chuixue's sword intent is extremely pure, tightly condensed and unwavering. It clearly surpasses Feng Qingyang. Feng Qingyang is simply not his match." Song Yuhua said.
"Feng Qingyang is already going all out, while Ximen Chuixue is still testing him."
"The difference between them is far too great."
Practicing the Ethereal Sword Art, Song Yuhua easily saw through their disparity.
"Very good. The Martial Techniques I gifted you have not gone to waste." Zhu Houzhao nodded with satisfaction.
"Besides your current lack of cultivation, you already meet the qualifications to advance to the Land Immortal Realm."
"And Shiyin, you cheeky girl. You knew Feng Qingyang would lose, so why pretend otherwise?"
"I was just trying to lighten the mood a little." Lin Shiyin pouted.
"I might not understand Sword Techniques, but I can see clearly. To deal with Feng Qingyang, I only need one strike."
"But to defeat Ximen Chuixue, I would need three strikes to win."
Hearing Lin Shiyin's casual bragging, Zhu Houzhao was speechless.
Ever since reuniting with him in the palace, this girl's mood had brightened considerably.
The gloom between her brows had disappeared.
Her behavior and speech had changed a great deal.
"Look quickly, the final strike has landed. The outcome is decided!"
"As expected, the difference between Feng Qingyang and Ximen Chuixue is too great."
"It won't be long before they're not even remotely comparable."
Murong Qiudi shook her head.
Buzz!
Just as they were reminiscing about the duel between the two Great Grandmasters, the Golden Ranking suspended high in the sky suddenly radiated a brilliant light.
An invisible sword intent swept across all of Nine Provinces.
Everyone felt the vast, invincible presence of that sword intent deep within their hearts.
A deep sense of awe rose within them.
[Nine Provinces – Sword Immortal Ranking]
[From this day forth, the Sword Immortal Ranking of the Nine Provinces World shall be revealed]
[All Sword Immortals in Nine Provinces who have reached the Land Immortal Realm, regardless of age or gender, are eligible for the ranking]
[This ranking holds only ten positions]
[The bottom four are for Sword Immortals of the Heavenly Human Realm Land Immortal]
[The middle three are for Sword Immortals of the Mythical Realm Land Immortal]
[The top three are for Sword Immortals of the God Demon Realm Land Immortal and beyond]
[All who make the ranking shall be rewarded by the Heaven Dao]
[The ranking will be updated once every year]
==========
"The Sword Immortal Ranking! It's finally here!"
"Yes, compared to the Sword Ancestor Ranking, this one is on a whole other level!"
"The entry requirement is the Land Immortal Realm. That's insane!"
"If I could ever make it onto the Sword Immortal Ranking, I could die with no regrets!"
"The Sword Immortal Ranking? Just making the Sword Ancestor Ranking would already be a blessing from your ancestors."
"There are only three or four spots for each tier!"
"The competition to get on this ranking is going to be brutal!"
At that moment, the Golden Ranking's light intensified.
New names began to appear on the updated ranking.