The Guest Elder of The World’s First Building, out of respect for the esteemed title of Sword Madman, showed great deference. Such swordsmen, having reached the unparalleled realm through the ages with their Martial Arts, were accorded the highest respect, even by those arrogant figures of The World’s First Building.
Of course, with such a revered title, some admired it, yet others were dissatisfied.
There were those who felt that the name Sword God was too much for Murong Longtu’s lifetime of bloody slaughter, and others thought that the title lacked the grandeur and dominance characteristic of Murong Longtu.
They suggested he should be called Sword Emperor or Sword Dominator instead.
But such people were soon drowned out by the chorus of reproach from the masses.
In some hidden corners of the world, subtle changes occurred. Those entangled aristocratic families of Jiangnan, previously rebellious and unyielding, suddenly became docile, wishing they could hide their heads.
Another change was in the Ghost Market, where all assassination orders involving the Murong Family were cancelled. The Night Emperor, one of the top ten grandmasters of the current era, personally threw these orders into the flames, burning them to ashes.
It was a gesture of respect for the Sword God.
Beings of Martial Arts Legend status, like clouds in the sky, were ethereal and too far removed for the martial artists of the Martial World; a rare glimpse of them could give rise to legends.
Like Zu Wenyuan, or like magicians in search of the Elixir of Immortality.
Within the Imperial Palace of Ying Country, Emperor Jiang Wanxiang decreed to allocate a large ship from the Ministry of War to the Qilin Army, to take the water route to Central State, saying, "Whale Hunter has returned to the Central Plains."
Jiang Su said, "I’m already old. Even though I’ve reached the realm of Martial Arts Legend, the oppressive aura of the Military School is not conducive to longevity, and battling on the battlefield, my lifespan will not exceed that of those from the Taoist Sect."
"A Martial Arts Legend, to a nation, serves as a revered treasure."
"It can protect the Emperor above, and suppress the Martial World below."
"It may not be needed at all times, but it cannot be without."
"Back then, the Red Emperor’s world had no Martial Arts Legend, but it had the Ancient Red Dragon, whose vitality was vast, and vigor robust, only comparable to a Martial Arts Legend; later, when the appointed time agreed between the Red Emperor and the Ancient Red Dragon arrived, the dragon returned to heaven and earth."
"If I were to die, my nation cannot be left without a Martial Arts Legend as its backbone."
"I wish to secure this youngest Martial Arts Legend for my great Daying."
Jiang Wanxiang, brimming with curiosity, asked:
"Whale Hunter, I’ve heard of this man. Reckless and unbridled by nature, a libertine, who once indulged in desires, yet later apparently loathed it, disappearing into the South Sea, to spend over a decade chasing whales and sharks."
Jiang Su said, "He was once immersed in the pursuit of beauty."
"Rather than being immersed in beauty, it’s more accurate to say, after his Martial Arts reached Great Success, he thought himself above the fray, following his heart, both upright and wicked. Later on, the Sect Master of the Demon Sect brought two beauties from the highest ranks of the Martial World, feeding Whale Hunter some secret medicine."
"The plan was to use these two beauties to bear Whale Hunter’s offspring."
"Unexpectedly, Whale Hunter, with his profound Martial Arts, forcefully suppressed the effects, and in a frenzy, sought out their true master, and they enjoyed a night of passion. Despite the flawless foundation of a Martial Arts Legend, it happened that pregnancy resulted from that single encounter."
Jiang Wanxiang laughed heartily, "Such luck, I don’t know whether to call it good or bad."
Jiang Su said, "For that, Whale Hunter brooded for a long time, thereafter keeping himself from the company of women."
"Later, despite his prolonged defiance, he acted as if the matter never occurred, but then, when a Grandmaster of the Yin Yang Family who should have been dead notified him, he learned of the Demon Sect Master’s plan to temper his daughter into a being without blood or tears, to serve as a vessel for the revival of the Demon Sect’s Demon God’s Primordial Spirit."
"Whale Hunter, drunk, claimed indifference, yet after Siming left, he streaked from Jiangnan to the Western Regions, storming into the Demon Sect alone, breaking their lineage of martial elite, and rescued his daughter."
"But the man himself came from nothing, learning a bit here and there, living off the charity of others; he had no clue how to care for his daughter. The wet nurses he found were either killed by the Demon Sect or attempted to hand his daughter over to them."
"While Whale Hunter was wild and unrestrained, he was extremely fond of the little girl, who, in turn, became his vulnerability. At that time, the Grandmaster of Formation known as undefeated, proclaimed to be without parents and nurtured by nature, had gained a weakness."
"Due to the Demon Sect’s cunning methods, after much deliberation for seven days and nights."
"Eventually, he found the only place he believed to be safe."
"Yet unsure how to ask for help."
"Being obsessed with Martial Arts, he simply presented his entire Absolute Skill in the form of Formation Atlas and entrusted the girl along with it to the Stargazing Lineage of the Three Sects of the World, requesting them to shelter his child. Thus, Whale Hunter’s only soft spot was her."
Jiang Wanxiang chuckled and refused, saying:
"Surely the Grandmaster doesn’t expect me to kidnap this little girl, does he?"
Jiang Su said, "Of course not. Whale Hunter can only be approached with a soft hand, not force. I was just thinking, hasn’t the Crown Prince yet to take a legal wife, has he?"
Jiang Wanxiang looked at Jiang Su, raising his eyebrows.
The World’s Number One Divine General said in a solemn voice, "With Sword Madman’s emergence, even if he doesn’t pursue longevity, he won’t die immediately; such a martial artist will maintain peak combat condition with his last breath before death."
"Sword Madman’s emergence, stabilizing Jiangnan, has already disrupted the status quo of the world."
"Furthermore, due to Sword Madman’s invitation, Whale Hunter, who had been outside the South Sea for more than a decade, has returned."