Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

Martial Arts Arena.

Jiang Ning withdrew his gaze, though his mind was racing with thoughts.

"The Scripture Pavilion of the Vajra Temple... Master Ku Hai is indeed generous!!"

He naturally wasn’t naive enough to think Ku Hai was simply being polite.

Though uncertain of the forces driving this old monk’s visit today, he understood that it certainly wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared.

As the abbot of the Vajra Temple, Ku Hai’s intentions must undoubtedly run deeper.

Extending goodwill and inviting him to the Scripture Pavilion might be Ku Hai’s way of forging a benevolent relationship for the Vajra Temple.

This thought in his mind wasn’t born from overconfidence.

Having reached this point, he knew that his strength was enough to not fear the Martial Artists of the world.

Among the supposed second under heaven, he could hold his ground against several of them.

Only Yellow Heaven Taoist left him feeling uncertain.

Because like him, Yellow Heaven Taoist had also reached the realm of Immortal in the Immortal Dao, achieving the Primordial Spirit stage.

In this regard, neither the Qingxu Temple Master nor Ku Hai had reached this step.

In Martial Arts, whether it’s the Qingxu Temple Master, Ku Hai, Ji Xuan, or Yellow Heaven Taoist, all have achieved levels far beyond the average first-grade master.

But precisely how deep and far, it couldn’t be measured.

Yet he could be sure that the differences weren’t significant.

Because among the previous five second under heaven strongmen, he had already crossed paths with three.

Though not a life-and-death struggle, and not at full force, he could roughly gauge the strength of these three.

Not in life-or-death combat, most were probably closely matched.

Contemplating this, Jiang Ning turned to the crowd gathered at the arena: "Ladies and gentlemen, the ceremony is not yet over, we should head back and make an appearance."

"Of course!" Xiang Yuan laughed heartily, "We can’t slight the new monarch, after all, he’s still the Marquis’s brother-in-law!"

As these words were spoken, everyone shared a chuckle, the atmosphere becoming amiable.

Only Su Qingying had a slight change in expression.

...

On the other side.

In front of the Chengtian Hall, the banquet had already resumed.

Amidst the music and dance, officials exchanged cups, but clearly, their minds were no longer on the fine wine and dishes at the table.

The celestial phenomenon witnessed moments ago, alongside the aftermath of that earth-shattering duel, had long allowed everyone to understand the level of confrontation occurring at the Martial Arts Arena.

And when Jiang Ning’s silhouette reappeared at the plaza, the entire banquet abruptly stilled.

Almost all the gazes focused on him at the same instant.

There was reverence, amazement, envy, and also a deeply hidden apprehension.

Ji Minghao sat on the dragon throne, seeing Jiang Ning return, a relieved look appeared beneath the tassels of his crown. He then loudly declared, "The Dongling Marquis has returned! Someone, grant him the front seat!"

At this moment, Shen Mengyun felt the sweat from that large hand clasping her own and frowned slightly as she glanced at the current Holy Emperor.

Subsequently, the attendants hurriedly brought a chair, placing it beneath the dragon throne, at the leading front row, just half a step lower than the imperial seat.

Jiang Ning did not decline, slightly cupped his hands, and then calmly took his seat.

This seating signaled to everyone present his status.

At the Great Xia Court, the position of the Dongling Marquis was now second only to the Holy Emperor.

But looking at this scene, no one raised objections.

Everyone knew that the current Holy Emperor would never have ascended to the throne without the support of the Dongling Marquis alone.

Without the support of the Dongling Marquis, the Eighth Prince could never have succeeded the great succession and become the new ruler of Great Xia.

Subsequently, the feast continued.

Revelry flourished, cups clinking incessantly.

Yet Jiang Ning could clearly sense, from time to time, gazes assessing him, seemingly seeking to fathom his depth.

These glances, he couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge.

Having reached this stage, it’s impossible not to endure such common gazes.

Just at this time, after several rounds of wine, Ji Minghao suddenly stood up, raising his cup towards the officials: "Today I ascend the throne, and with the Dongling Marquis holding such a pivotal position in the court, it is indeed a blessing for Great Xia! Come, everyone drink this cup together!"

The officials quickly rose, raising their cups in unison, proclaiming loudly: "Congratulations to the Holy Emperor, congratulations to the Dongling Marquis!"

Jiang Ning also stood, raised his cup, and drank it all in one go.

The wine entered his throat, slightly spicy yet mellow and sweet, it was palace wine.

He set down the cup, feeling somewhat relaxed inside.

Reaching this point, one could finally say he truly has the power to stand firm.

Having battled Ji Xuan and engaged with both Qingxu and Ku Hai, he realized his strength was no longer what it once was.

Even alone with the might of his Primordial Spirit, he wasn’t that far from the strength of these figures.

This realization of his own prowess did not surprise him.

After all, having become an Immortal with a Primordial Spirit, his Immortal Foundation was exceptionally high-quality, a genuine True Immortal potential.

Such profound foundation naturally translates into extraordinary capabilities.

Even if he had only the realm without the corresponding cultivation, even if the current heavenly environment was no longer suitable.

Yet just relying on the extraordinary foundation of his Primordial Spirit, which exerted part of an Immortal’s might, it was still formidable.

Moreover, he had mastered an extremely exalted swordsmanship, the Taixu Yin Yang Sword.

This swordsmanship originated from the Shangyang Immortal Sect and aligned seamlessly with his path.

The resultant effect was greater than the sum of its parts.

Just then.

A disturbance suddenly arose at the banquet entrance.

Only to see a figure in a red dress, passing through the layers of palace gates, heading straight for the banquet before the Chengtian Hall.

The figure was slender and slight, yet the strides were exceptionally firm.

The long red dress trailed on the ground, with the hem stained with a bit of dust, evidently in haste.

Still wearing a complex Phoenix Crown, the delicate makeup was already blurred by tear stains, appearing a bit disheveled.

This person was none other than the Seventeenth Princess of the Great Xia Royal Family, the Holy Emperor’s own sister, Ji Mingyue.

As she stepped into the plaza, the entire banquet abruptly stilled.

All civil and military officials cast their eyes on her, seeing her sorrowful expression, with tears still not dried at the corners of her eyes, their hearts were filled with unease and speculation.