Previously, Chen Jiuyang was enfeoffed as a King in Longjing, but he did not linger, heading to City 318 on the western border the next day.
This time, upon arriving at Shu Mountain, all fifteen families of Shu Mountain sent congratulatory gifts, celebrating the Chen family's ascension to royalty!
The momentum was grand, with lanterns and banners hung everywhere, making it as lively as a New Year celebration.
Chen Jiuyang had previously returned to Fengcheng in a low-key manner and had not met many people.
Now, he was enjoying the feeling of returning home in glory.
The Chen family of Shu Mountain had long prepared a continuous feast.
Every descendant of the Chen family in Shu Mountain wore a proud expression.
This time, Long Country enfeoffed five Kings in total, and Shu Mountain accounted for one of them. The other three Kings could not be compared to Chen Jiuyang.
Yan Hongming, the heir of the Yan King, ranked fifth on the Martial Ranking, was again enfeoffed as a King. With two Kings in one family, how glorious it was, not to mention that the Yan King was the strongest overt combatant in Long Country.
But that was someone else's business.
Power and influence were like water, and strong individuals were like clouds. Almost everyone with a reputation in Shu Mountain came to pay their respects.
Thousands of tables were not enough to seat everyone, which showed how many people had come.
The main banquet table was filled with thirty-two people, all happily drinking and feasting.
The Sect Master of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect said, "This time, we congratulate the Chen family for producing a true dragon, congratulate King Qian, and thank King Qian again."
The Chen family head smiled and said, "No need to be so formal. With Tiannan's strength, he should have been in the top ten of the Martial Ranking and joined the national team."
Ye Tiannan had encountered Yan Hongming on the Martial Ranking before and was defeated by him, originally not making it into the top ten.
However, later, because of Chen Jiuyang, the Martial Ranking held a revival match. Ye Tiannan competed again and entered the top ten of the Martial Ranking. Although he did not make it into the top five to be enfeoffed as a King, he joined the national team.
Ye Tiannan looked at Chen Jiuyang with some dissatisfaction and said, "King Qian, since you are here in Shu Mountain this time, you and I should have a battle."
"Tiannan!" The elder of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect immediately reprimanded Ye Tiannan. After all, they were indebted to Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Jiuyang smiled slightly and said, "Good, I also want to test Brother Ye's sword intent."
Chen Jiuyang had not yet fought against a martial artist who had mastered 'intent'.
Momentum, Authority, Intent.
These reflect a martial artist's martial dao realm, not their cultivation.
Although Chen Jiuyang's combat power was strong, it was still stuck at 'Authority'.
If he could comprehend 'intent', his combat power would increase significantly!
Seeing that Chen Jiuyang had agreed, the Chen family head said, "Tiannan, Jiuyang is back in Shu Mountain this time to attend to important matters. After he emerges from the secret realm, you can spar with him then, how about it?"
If it were before, Ye Tiannan would have been displeased if the Chen family head had said this.
But Chen Jiuyang's first place on the Martial Ranking was an undeniable fact, and he was indebted to Chen Jiuyang. Even with his arrogance, he dared not be arrogant at this moment.
Ye Tiannan was silent for a moment and said, "Alright."
After speaking, he rose from the banquet and turned to leave.
This made many people look surprised.
This Ye Tiannan was too arrogant.
Even the Sect Master of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect felt a bit embarrassed seeing this and said apologetically, "It is my fault for spoiling Tiannan too much before. I hope Brother Chen will forgive him and not take it to heart."
The Chen family head smiled and said, "It's nothing, nothing."
Before Chen Jiuyang's appearance, Ye Tiannan was the most outstanding among his peers in Shu Mountain, always suppressing others and being arrogant. But after Chen Jiuyang's appearance, the situation changed.
Chen Jiuyang was now enfeoffed as a King, and he couldn't be bothered to argue with the other party.
When resisting foreign enemies, the sixteen forces of Shu Mountain had to work together, but internal conflicts and friction were inevitable.
After the lunch banquet, Granny Zeng took Chen Jiuyang's relatives and friends around the mountains and rivers, while Chen Jiuyang was led by the Chen family head to a sword tomb deep within Shu Mountain.
Behind the sword tomb was an ancient hall shrouded in white mist.
The Chen family head said, "Jiuyang, this is the secret realm of our sixteen families of Shu Mountain. This time, you will enter the Shu Mountain secret realm. Firstly, you can search for heavenly spiritual materials, elixirs, and cultivation techniques to improve your strength. Secondly, you must bring our Chen family's ancestor out of the secret realm."
"You are already enfeoffed as a King, covered by the national destiny and the luck of the Martial Ranking. Previously, this luck was also shared with our Chen family, allowing our ancestor at the Venerable realm to be unsealed and emerge from the secret realm. For the ancestor to emerge from the secret realm, it requires someone like you, who carries the national destiny and the luck of the Martial Ranking, to bring him out, otherwise, there will be disaster."
"After our Chen family's ancestor at the Venerable realm emerges, I will abdicate as the head of the Chen family, and the ancestor at the Venerable realm will take over as the head of the Chen family. In this way, the ancestor at the Venerable realm will be protected by the Chen family's destiny, allowing him to move freely and become your protector."
Chen Jiuyang nodded slowly, feeling a sense of anticipation. He had already witnessed the might of the Heavenly realm, but he wondered about the combat power of the Venerable realm and what kind of existence they were.
However, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Having a backer was indeed good.
He also understood why those great families wanted to achieve good rankings on the Long Country Martial Ranking. Wouldn't their family's strength immediately skyrocket if they could unseal Venerable realm experts from the secret realm?
The peak of the current mainstream power in the country was the Half-step Heavenly realm. If a family had an expert at the Venerable realm as a guardian, as long as they didn't provoke those Heavenly realm Kings, and combined their royal power with their swords, they could basically walk sideways within Long Country?
The Chen family head looked at Chen Jiuyang with great anticipation in his eyes: "Jiuyang, please proceed to the secret realm."
"Alright."
Chen Jiuyang said solemnly, then walked towards the sword tomb.
As Chen Jiuyang approached the sword tomb, it immediately emitted terrifying and horrifying malevolent energy and sword energy. However, after sensing Chen Jiuyang's bloodline and the aura of national destiny on him, the ferocious and terrifying sword tomb immediately quieted down.
When the sword tomb erupted with malevolent energy, it made Chen Jiuyang's scalp tingle and his skin crawl. The terror was no less than what he felt when he saw the old monster of the Lotus Sect, causing him to feel a sense of dread.
"This is the heritage of the aristocratic families."
Chen Jiuyang couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
There was a reason why the martial arts world of Long Country had so many aristocratic families and sects that had continued their lineage for so many years.
After Chen Jiuyang steadily stepped over the sword tomb and entered the mist, when he truly arrived before the grand hall of the Shu Mountain secret realm, an ancient, grand, and old aura rushed towards him.
This secret realm had been sealed for who knows how many years. Most importantly, Chen Jiuyang felt extremely dense spiritual energy.
Slowly crossing the secret realm's grand hall, there was a world within a world.
It was thousands of feet high and over ten thousand meters wide, with a vast internal environment.
There were rare and exotic beasts, and any medicinal plant here was at least a thousand years old.
Chen Jiuyang took a deep breath and looked carefully. The quality of these medicinal plants was at least that of spiritual herbs.
Only spiritual herbs could be used to refine纹丹 (wen dan - pill of patterns), while medicinal plants of the spiritual material grade could at most be used to refine pills of the '转' (zhuan - turn) level.
If he were to claim all the medicinal plants here for himself and refine them into pills, Chen Jiuyang could probably break through to the Venerable realm.
Even the steady Chen Jiuyang could not remain calm at this moment.
He had an urge to go into seclusion here for ten years!
The rock walls were also covered with countless cultivation techniques.
Was this the true foundation of Shu Mountain's heritage accumulated over countless years?
"Coming to Shu Mountain this time was not in vain..."