Ming Imperial Harem.
Empress Palace.
"Miss, should we try to recruit the people on the Sword Ancestor Ranking into our Netherworld City?"
The Palace Maid Qing'er recalled the names on the ranking.
Indeed, quite a few of them had potential worth cultivating.
Even those who didn't make it onto the ranking but had impressive performances in the duels were worth bringing under control.
"You can, but it must be done in secret. Don't use force. If it causes a stir and catches the attention of the Empress Dowager, it will make things difficult for His Majesty."
"Miss, I've completed the investigation on the newly arrived Consorts in the palace."
"There are a few who deserve extra attention."
"Some need to be watched closely."
"Some can be ignored entirely, and others can be recruited as pawns and front-line agents for you."
At that moment, Shangguan Wan'er spoke up and handed over a stack of documents.
"This Murong Qiudi, His Majesty has given her special permission to contact the Heavenly Venerable Organization outside the palace. It seems that the organization has been growing rapidly in the Martial World."
"And this woman Xue Yuan, master of the Divine Search Palace, is quite formidable."
"But she lacks ambition."
"She came solely for His Majesty."
"And then there's Zhao Min from the Yuan Dynasty..."
Before Shangguan Wan'er could finish, the Empress interrupted her.
"Don't touch Zhao Min for now. I intend to use her as a key piece in a much larger plan."
"Perhaps she can severely damage the Yuan Dynasty's foundation."
"Temujin and Phagpa are trying to use Zhao Min to manipulate His Majesty and the Ming Dynasty. I will make them pay the price."
"From now on, report any information about Zhao Min to me immediately."
"I had this plan ever since she first came to the Ming Dynasty as an envoy."
"But the timing has not yet matured."
Shangguan Wan'er and Qing'er were slightly startled but quickly regained their composure.
Curiosity flickered in their eyes.
"As for Murong Qiudi, she's just playing around. It's far too early for her to think she can match me."
"When she becomes a Mythical Realm cultivator, then she might be worthy of being my rival."
In terms of palace intrigue, Empress Wu Zhao was unmatched.
More importantly, she had already reached the God Demon Realm.
She was born to be invincible.
Her rivals still had a long way to go.
They were far too inexperienced for now.
==========
The Empress Wu Zhao was not the only one aggressively recruiting individuals from the Sword Ancestor Ranking.
Major forces across Nine Provinces had begun taking action as well.
Anyone who performed well on the stage had become a hot commodity.
Even the dynasties joined in.
Some used coercion, others offered incentives.
Various means were used in abundance.
Some accepted the offers gladly, while others found them extremely bothersome.
The Martial World suddenly became lively once again.
However, to everyone's surprise, the Sword Immortal Ranking had yet to update.
The Golden Ranking hovered in the sky, occasionally releasing a faint glow as a sign of its presence.
The final three Sword Immortals were sure to be top-tier cultivators beyond the God Demon Realm.
==========
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, the Sword Immortal Ranking continued to flicker.
But it never updated.
Countless people across Nine Provinces were confused and puzzled.
Just then, the ranking in the sky suddenly trembled.
In the next moment, it officially refreshed.
Those keeping constant watch over the Sword Immortal Ranking were instantly startled and delighted.
It has finally been updated.
Line after line of text appeared.
[Sword Immortal Ranking – Rank 3]
[Mei Yinxue]
[Identity: Island Master of Thinking Yi Island]
[Cultivation: Intermediate God Demon Realm Land Immortal]
[Sword Dao Comprehension: Third Cycle, Great Perfection]
[Reward: Immortal-Grade Divine Sword – Male-Female Twin Blades, contains Immortal-Grade Sword Techniques of unpredictable power]
Mei Yinxue?
Who is that?
Another unfamiliar name?
Thinking Yi Island?
Why does that sound so familiar?
Many across Nine Provinces were momentarily stunned, then quickly realized.
Wasn't that the same Thinking Yi Island that appeared on the Forbidden Land Ranking?
As expected.
The master of a forbidden ground was indeed a peerless cultivator.
Intermediate God Demon Realm.
Moreover, she had perfected the Third Cycle of Sword Dao Comprehension.
That was incredibly powerful.
Her realm might not be the highest, but in terms of combat power, she was definitely one of the strongest in the God Demon Realm.
And then there was the Heaven Dao Reward: the Immortal-Grade Divine Sword, the Male-Female Twin Blades.
It even contained Immortal-Grade Sword Techniques.
That reward was unbelievably generous.
Everyone's eyes widened, full of jealousy and envy.
Even those who were in the God Demon Realm were going mad with envy.
Why weren't they chosen for the Sword Immortal Ranking?
If they had been, this treasure would be theirs.
Unfortunately, they didn't dare steal it.
This was not like the previous case with Nameless.
If they tried to rob her, one burst of sword energy from Mei Yinxue might be enough to severely wound a God Demon Realm cultivator.
No one was confident enough to believe they could escape her swordsmanship.
Let alone the fact that she was the master of a forbidden ground.
That place could easily bury even God Demon Realm cultivators.
Who would dare provoke her?
Thinking Yi Island.
Mei Yinxue was surprised and caught off guard to find herself ranked on the Sword Immortal Ranking.
Among God Demon Realm cultivators, she didn't consider herself that powerful, only at the Intermediate level.
However, realizing this was the Sword Immortal Ranking and not the Martial Immortal Ranking, it all started to make sense.
Looking at the Heaven Dao Reward in her hand, the Male-Female Twin Swords, a faint smile appeared on Mei Yinxue's face.
The Sword Technique sealed within was a dual cultivation method meant for a man and woman to train together.
If she could practice it with that man, how wonderful it would be.
It seemed the Nine Provinces Golden Ranking was also offering its blessings to them.
Holding the two exquisitely crafted swords, one gold and one blue, she envisioned a warm scene of practicing swordsmanship together with that man.
She became lost in thought.
After a long while, she finally snapped out of it.
No, she couldn't just keep waiting on Thinking Yi Island.
She had to make a move.
At the very least, she wanted that scoundrel to remember her, to think of her from time to time, and feel uneasy when she wasn't by his side.
She was confident in her appearance and charm.
She didn't believe for a second that man could remain indifferent to her.
With that thought, Mei Yinxue made up her mind.
She packed her belongings and set off from the island.
With her current God Demon Realm strength, the sea was no obstacle at all.
With a gentle step on the water's surface, Mei Yinxue glided gracefully through the air like a fairy.
Each step she took caused a water lotus to bloom beneath her feet.
It was an enchanting sight.
Her body seemed weightless, moving as if walking on solid ground.
==========
Sui Dynasty.
Supreme Master Mansion.
Yuwen Tuo looked at the name on the Sword Immortal Ranking and sighed softly.
He had still lost.
Compared to Mei Yinxue, he couldn't match her in either realm or Sword Dao Comprehension.
He had hoped to be included on the Sword Immortal Ranking.
It seemed he had overestimated himself and underestimated the strength of hidden cultivators throughout Nine Provinces.
The Xuanyuan Sword in his hand was also an Immortal-Grade Divine Weapon.
He wondered how it would compare to the Male-Female Twin Swords awarded by the Heaven Dao.
He needed to seek out another God Demon Realm cultivator to push his limits.
Having suppressed his realm at the Mythical Realm for so long, he was starting to forget what the God Demon Realm felt like.
If this continued, it would be detrimental to his sword heart.
The Sui Emperor Yang Guang was becoming increasingly strange.
He suspected that Yang Guang had joined either the Heaven Palace or the Earth Mansion.
And that the Cultivation Technique he had been practicing may have come from within one of those organizations.
Now, in his obsession with mastering the mysterious technique, Yang Guang had abandoned state affairs.
If not for the Empress's assistance and Yuwen Tuo's own efforts to keep the dynasty in order, the Sui Dynasty might have already collapsed.
But how much longer could such a situation last?
If external forces intervened, things would spiral out of control.
==========
A Mysterious Place.
Within a hall that appeared both real and illusionary.
Figures in blood-red robes sat in silence, their faces hidden behind strange and eerie masks of various colors.
"Does anyone know the origins of this Forbidden Land master, Mei Yinxue?"
A commanding voice echoed through the hall.
The voice was deep and indistinct, neither male nor female, but everyone present knew exactly who was speaking.
"Lord Ksitigarbha, Mei Yinxue was originally from the Ming Martial World."
"Years ago, she caused great bloodshed across the Martial World, stirring widespread anger."
"Then she mysteriously disappeared."
"No one expected her to become a God Demon Realm cultivator, much less a Forbidden Land master."
The speaker was clearly someone familiar with the Ming Martial World.
The one who asked the question was none other than Ksitigarbha of the Earth Mansion.
He, too, was at the God Demon Realm.
Within the Earth Mansion, his authority was immense, second only to the Fengdu Emperor and Meng Po.
"Nonsense. According to the intelligence I gathered, the rumors in the Martial World are completely false."
"It seems she was framed."
"The moment she entered the Martial World, she was relentlessly hunted. Everyone sought to kill her."
"In truth, they all desired her beauty."
"How absurd."
Another voice interjected indignantly.
"Whether she was wronged or not, one thing is undeniable, she is a true genius."
"Not just anyone can reach the God Demon Realm in such a short time."
"There must be something greater backing her."
"Could she be the disciple of some ancient monster?"
"Or perhaps a member of a hidden power?"
Speculation spread through the hall.
"The Ming Dynasty again?"
"Could she be the woman of Emperor Zhu Houzhao? How likely is that?"
"Impossible. Mei Yinxue disappeared just as the Ming Emperor ascended the throne."
"At that time, he would've been busy handling court affairs. Why would he care about trivial matters?"
Someone quickly refuted the idea.
"Maybe. But considering the Emperor reached the God Demon Realm in his twenties, who knows what level he had reached when he took the throne?"
"Back then, he could have easily hidden anything."
"That makes it even less likely. The Emperor became a God Demon Realm cultivator thanks to the Ming Imperial Family's foundation."
"But a mere Peacock Princess? What of her?"
The hall buzzed with debate, each person holding their own opinion and unwilling to accept others' conclusions.
"Enough."
Ksitigarbha's voice silenced the room.
"No matter what her background is, we must bring this Forbidden Land master into the Earth Mansion."
"She must not fall into the hands of the Heaven Palace."
"Otherwise, it will pose a significant threat to us."
"None of you want to die by her sword one day, do you?"
"If not, then do your best to find her and invite her to join us."
"Whoever succeeds will be rewarded with 100,000 Earth Mansion contribution points."
Everyone gasped in shock.
Their breathing stalled.
One hundred thousand Earth Mansion points was an enormous reward.
It could be exchanged in the Earth Mansion's treasury for numerous heaven-defying techniques and martial skills.
It would greatly accelerate one's cultivation.
No one present wanted to miss this opportunity.
"Rest assured, Lord Ksitigarbha. I will do my utmost to find her. She won't join the Heaven Palace."
"Same here. I'll deploy all my agents in the Ming Dynasty. No matter where she is, I'll find her."
==========
Unlike the sinister Earth Mansion.
The Heaven Palace was grand, magnificent, and solemn.
Though they also concealed their faces and identities, at least their attire was far more pleasant to look at.
"This Mei Yinxue, the Island Master of Thinking Yi Island, must be recruited."
"I've verified that she is not part of the Earth Mansion and qualifies to join the Heaven Palace."
"Who will find her and invite her in?"
"Even if she declines, do not antagonize her."
"This woman's strength is on par with my own."
A calm voice rang out.
"Heavenly Venerable, are you mistaken?"
"This Forbidden Land master is only in the Intermediate God Demon Realm. How could she match you in strength as a Late God Demon Realm cultivator?"
"Each minor stage in the God Demon Realm is a world apart."
Someone voiced their doubt.
"Don't forget, her Sword Dao Comprehension is Third Cycle, Great Perfection."
"Do you understand what that means?"
"You'd best be prepared."
"Also, the Heaven Dao Reward, the Immortal-Grade Male-Female Twin Swords, is no trivial thing."
"Remember this. Do not make an enemy of her."
"Even I may not be able to save you if that happens."
The warning was heavy and stern.
The Heavenly Venerable had done his best to elevate himself, but in a real fight, he might not be able to defeat Mei Yinxue.
"Tsk. The Rank 3 Sword Immortal is already this terrifying."
"How strong must the first and second be?"
"Unimaginable."
"As always, whoever successfully recruits her will receive 100,000 Heaven Palace contribution points."
"Heavenly Venerable, you're generous. We'll get it done."
"For the sake of those points alone, we'll gladly compete with the Earth Mansion."
"Looking forward to your success."
With those final words, the Heavenly Venerable's presence vanished.
The rest of the Heaven Palace members began coordinating with one another.
Though none knew each other's true appearance, age, or even gender, it didn't hinder their cooperation.
Such things had happened many times before.
They were very experienced in this sort of mission.