Chapter 1, Scandal

It is evident that the Demon Swordmaster already holds a supreme position within an empire, not to mention the Swordmasters above the Demon Swordmasters. Throughout the entire Blue Moon Empire, the number of renowned Swordmasters is also quite limited

This is simply a tremendous scandal, especially for someone of Ling Tianxiao's status, making it even more difficult for him to accept that his son could engage in such behavior. Ling Tianxiao, known for his impulsive and violent temperament, upon seeing Ling Xiao, acted in anger without seeking clarification, striking his son and inflicting serious injuries before he finally felt pain and regret.

I just returned from the front lines and originally intended to spend a few days enjoying family time with my wife and children. However, upon my return, I was shocked to hear that Ling Xiao had committed a heinous act by assaulting his classmate from the Imperial Academy, who is also his childhood betrothed, Xie Xiaoyan.

The enhancement of quality cannot be substituted by quantity. The gap between a swordsman and a sword attendant is already significant, not to mention that there is a full seven ranks of difference between the two!

In the capital of the Blue Moon Empire, Yalan, within a separate courtyard of the General's residence, a young boy dressed in luxurious attire, around fourteen or fifteen years old, is currently lying on a lavish bed in a grand room. His eyes, somewhat vacant, gaze at the intricately carved ceiling adorned with various ornate patterns. Beneath him lies a mattress made from the wool of the four-cornered antelope from the Snow Mountains of Vantya, and he is covered with a quilt made of black velvet from Lake Wis. Every piece of decor in the room is worth a fortune. Ling Xiao is unsure of what the imperial palace looks like, but based on what he has learned from the texts, it is likely that it is not much different from this.

In fact, those who are observant can find the discrepancies upon careful consideration. Ling Xiao is merely a fifth-tier sword attendant, currently mingling in the lower classes of the Imperial Academy, which is somewhat embarrassing to admit. However, this reflects Ling Xiao's true capabilities. On the other hand, Xie Xiaoyan and - Tu - Shu are sixth-tier sword masters. To claim that one could defeat a hundred opponents like Ling Xiao would not be an exaggeration at all

According to the various sword techniques that have been passed down, later generations gradually organized different martial arts, categorizing them into five levels from highest to lowest: divine, sacred, celestial, earthly, and human, with each level further divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers.

Ling Xiao's second sister, Ling Su, currently serves as a lecturer in General History at the Imperial Academy. She has a passion for archaeology and often ventures out to explore historical relics. Possessing the cultivation of a Third Rank Great Sword Master, she is also exceptionally beautiful. Coupled with her distinguished family background, she has countless admirers at the Imperial Academy

Ling Tianxiao did not expect all of his children to be exceptionally talented, as the saying goes, "A dragon gives birth to nine offspring, each differing from the other." Moreover, among his several children, there were no instances of the scheming and rivalry commonly seen in other noble families; instead, they were quite united. However, Ling Xiao's mischievous nature caused him endless worry

But the fact is the fact, the scene of Xie Xiaoyan, disheveled and with a face full of panic, running out of Ling Xiao's luxurious dormitory with tear stains on her face, was witnessed by hundreds of teachers and students across the school. Originally the campus belle of the Imperial Academy, Xie Xiaoyan instantly garnered everyone's sympathy.

Furthermore, the levels are categorized into: Sword Squire, Sword Master, Great Sword Master, Mad Sword Master, Magic Swordsman, Magic Sword Master, Sword Sect, Sword Emperor, Sword Sovereign, Sword Saint, and Sword God, totaling eleven levels. Excluding the Sword Squire, there are nine tiers, with each of the remaining levels consisting of six tiers.

How could one be left disheveled by Ling Xiao? If one truly intended to resist, even if not wishing to harm Ling Xiao, running away would not be a problem at all. How could it end up being so embarrassing?

If it were an ordinary girl, she would probably have reluctantly agreed, since she would eventually have to marry him anyway. Aside from not being able to achieve high accomplishments in martial arts, Ling Xiao is quite impressive in other aspects; at the very least, he is very handsome.

As for Ling Xiao, that good-for-nothing who was born into privilege and has been high and mighty since birth, he has always evoked both jealousy and envy in others. Now, by committing such acts that disgrace the noble lineage, he has further incurred the disdain and contempt of everyone. It would not be an exaggeration to call him a malignant tumor within the Imperial Academy. Many people are praying for this disgraceful individual, who has tarnished the reputation of his father, General Ling Tianxiao, to die quickly, so that everyone can enjoy a bit of peace.

Why does she resist so fiercely? Why?

Of course, this does not include the royal guards of the worship level, the super experts hidden behind the major families, as well as the practitioners who are indifferent to worldly affairs.

The emperors of both nations are well aware that there are not only two major empires on the continent, but also four medium-sized empires, which are constantly waiting for the two major empires to make a mistake; in such a case, they would have the opportunity to become the new dominant empire on the continent

When it came to Ling Xiao, it seemed that the fortune of the Ling family had been exhausted. From a young age, during the testing of his physique, it was discovered that Ling Xiao was actually a natural Heavenly Meridian User. The so-called Heavenly Meridian User is one whose meridians cannot be opened, no matter how hard one tries, one can only cultivate up to the sixth rank of Sword Master.

Due to the lack of military conflicts, General Ling Tianxiao occasionally has time to return home and reunite with his wife and children throughout the year. However, an incident that occurred a few days ago nearly infuriated Ling Tianxiao, who had returned home in high spirits.

Brother, you are truly unfortunate, but rest assured, I will definitely help you take revenge and clear your name! Consider it my repayment for occupying your body. " The sword cultivator Ling Xiao from Mount Shu searched through the original owner's mind for concepts and illustrations of martial artists in this continent, a faint cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: Swordsmanship, huh...?

Overall, magic swordsmen are highly valued talents in every country on the continent

However, he suddenly disappeared later, leaving no trace, just as he had suddenly appeared before the world. Many speculated that perhaps Yun Zhi Lan had broken through to become a Sword God, truly becoming a deity, shattering the void and departing. Of course, opinions varied widely, and no one knew where the Sword Saint Yun Zhi Lan had actually gone.

Becoming a Grand Sword Master is already an extraordinary achievement. To become a Grand Sword Master, one must have all the meridians opened, which requires enduring the immense pain of unblocking the channels and making efforts that are beyond the imagination of ordinary people

By the time one reaches the level of a Magic Swordsman, mere diligence is no longer sufficient; true talent is required. A Magic Swordsman can harness the power of elements, imbuing their weapons with elemental forces, thus possessing immense lethality against foes

Moreover, through the original owner's memories, Ling Xiao also realized that the so-called impropriety did not exist at all; it was merely a scheme devised by Xie Xiaoyan to rid herself of his presence.

At this moment, Ling Xiao's heart was anything but calm. It was too strange; he had inexplicably arrived at this place. For a sword cultivator from Mount Shu, even the cycle of death and rebirth would be far better than having one's soul traverse to an unknown world and inhabit the body of a person who was barely alive.

In fact, no one understands that even though Xie Xiaoyan has been praised as a genius since childhood, even though she reached the sixth rank of swordsman at the age of fourteen, and even though the Xie family is one of the largest merchant groups in the Blue Moon Empire, she is still considered to be reaching too high for the General's Mansion...! ... Although Ling Xiao is a good-for-nothing, marrying into the General's Mansion and forming an alliance with the Ling family would immediately elevate her status, allowing her to join the ranks of the empire's top families, which is an extraordinary honor

It is said that within the Sword Guild, there are many hidden and mysterious masters, some even at the level of Sword Saints, who are specifically responsible for the advancement examinations for Magic Sword Masters and above. However, they rarely make an appearance, let alone participate in the various conflicts across the continent

As if guided by a mysterious fate, the original owner of this body, also named Ling Xiao, had a father named Ling Tianxiao, who was a general of the Blue Moon Empire, stationed for many years by the shores of Weisi Lake, adjacent to another great empire on the Canglan Continent—the Zichuan Empire

The formidable military strength combined with a calm mind, along with an extraordinary application of various military strategies, has forged the current General Ling Tianxiao of the Blue Moon Empire. Although he does not possess a deep foundation and cannot be considered a top figure in the military, he is nonetheless highly respected within the Blue Moon Empire.

The sword cultivator Ling Xiao from Mount Shu felt quite unfortunate himself. He went to observe a senior from his sect undergoing tribulation, and as he watched the dark clouds of tribulation gather more and more in the sky, he concluded that this senior was likely to fail in the tribulation. With a rather unscrupulous thought of picking up the pieces, Ling Xiao prepared to move a little closer, thinking that perhaps he could acquire a few magical treasures and thus strike it rich.

In fact, the original useless Ling Xiao was indeed dead beyond any possibility of revival. How could the frail Ling Xiao withstand a furious strike from General Ling Tianxiao?

For instance, General Ling Tianxiao, a third-tier magic swordsman, practices the family heirloom sword technique "Hurricane Break," which is of the wind attribute and belongs to the mid-tier celestial level martial arts. Upon reaching the magic swordsman stage, he can unleash a hurricane sword aura over three meters long from his longsword during combat, allowing him to almost instantly eliminate martial artists below the magic swordsman level.

What is even more perplexing is Ling Xiao. Although he has been known since childhood as a dandy and a libertine, both of his maids remain pure and innocent to this day. How could he possibly violate his fiancée? Even if Xie Xiaoyan is unwilling in her heart, she will eventually marry you, Ling Xiao, and become yours. What is the rush?

The comprehensive national strength of the two countries is not significantly different, and the border has remained stable over the years. Although there have been occasional minor frictions, there has never been any major conflict.

All of this is due to the third son of the Ling family, Ling Xiao. General Ling Tianxiao has a total of four children: two sons and two daughters. Ling Xiao is the third in line and is referred to as the third son of the Ling family. He has an older brother, Ling Zhi, who is currently in the military, serving as the captain of the Tiger Roar Assault Team under their father's command. He possesses the cultivation of a fifth-level great sword master and is considered quite outstanding among the younger generation.

However, unexpectedly, for some unknown reason, the unfortunate heavenly tribulation struck him. Having just passed the Golden Core stage, Ling Xiao had no chance of survival under the thunder of the tribulation, and was instantly reduced to ashes. Fortunately, his soul did not perish, and a wisp of his ethereal spirit, in a daze, wandered into this world, attaching itself to the body of another person who shared his name.

Above the Sword Master, there are essentially those legendary figures, with very few existing in the present day. Three hundred years ago, a remarkably talented Sword Saint named Yun Zhi Lan briefly emerged on the continent, achieving the rank of Sword Saint in just fifty years, and he traversed the continent without ever suffering a defeat.

On the Canglan Continent, the culture is martial, and the status of warriors is very high. There is no dazzling magic; the focus is primarily on swordsmanship. After millions of years of development, swordsmanship has been perfected to its utmost.

A sixth-level swordsman is considered a significant achievement for an ordinary person; however, for prominent families possessing various sword techniques and cultivation methods, it is hardly noteworthy. Moreover, the gap between a swordsman and a grand swordsman is certainly not a simple difference of one level.