As the city of Linzi, sprawling over three hundred li, came into view, a solemn air fell over the entire returning Qi expedition.

Five li outside the city gates, the Zhan Yu Army, perpetually stationed on the capital’s periphery, stood ready to welcome them. This was a courtesy of the highest order. Great Qi’s Nine Legions were the elite of the realm, and the sight of these powerful, battle-hardened warriors, their spears and halberds held aloft like a dense forest, was truly awe-inspiring.

“This is a ceremony of triumphant return,” Zhong Xuanzun remarked.

Jiang Wang nodded, acknowledging his words. They rode magnificent steeds, side by side, a company of Tian Fu Army soldiers clearing the path ahead, another guarding their rear. The accompanying viewing party, those who had come to witness the ceremony, had dispersed long before reaching Linzi, each returning to their own homes, for they could not join the expeditionary force in this solemn procession.

The official road was strewn with scattered flower petals. The fiery red of “Yan Zhao” trod upon them, like fresh blossoms set aflame. The pure white of “Xue Ye” seemed to float upon the clouds of petals.

The soldiers of the Zhan Yu Army lined both sides of the official road, each gripping their weapon, their expressions grave. It was along this path of steel and flowers that Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuanzun proceeded. This was the road of warriors’ glory, a testament to the respect of their comrades.

The flags flying from the Guan He Platform proclaimed a resounding victory, sweeping away years of accumulated frustration! For this chief name, how many had fought and died? For this chief name, how many had perished with eyes wide open, their final wish unfulfilled? Even the direct disciple of the mighty Qi military god had died in the aftermath of the Ten Thousand Demons Gate, unable to bear the failure to secure this chief name.

How many had striven relentlessly for this very moment? The State of Qi *must* possess a status commensurate with its national power, a glory befitting that status. It must make the entire world see and understand that Qi was, without doubt, a hegemonic power, one of the greatest and most prosperous empires under heaven!

The Banner of the Purple Micro Midheaven Supreme Emperor, fluttering proudly atop the ancient Guan He Platform, stood alongside the banners of the great empires of history… and this was the moment.

Generals of a hundred battles may fall, and stout warriors may return after ten years, but it was all for this singular instant.

The expeditionary force traversed this long and solemn five-li road in silence, finally arriving at the foot of the majestic and grand city of Linzi. Their departure and their return both passed through the “Li” character gate. To go forth was to have “Li” (departure); to return was to have “Li” (return).

Yan Zhao and Xue Ye stepped through the immense city gate, and it was as if they had suddenly entered a world of clamor and noise! The streets, long since filled with waiting, packed crowds of Linzi’s common folk, erupted in a chorus of cheers and applause.

“Wei!”
“Wei!”
“Wei!”

People’s faces were flushed with excitement and joy. The soldiers maintaining order seemed almost insignificant, a little shaky amidst the surging waves of people.

Riding their magnificent steeds, Jiang Wang, clad in green robes and bearing his sword, looked around. As far as his eyes could see, there was a black mass of humanity. Countless individuals strained on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of him. Every face was turned towards him, cheering, celebrating, almost fanatic in their devotion.

Along the way to Linzi, he had already received the enthusiastic welcome of the common people of Qi. But now, this great nation had truly opened its arms to him!

“Jiang Wang!”
“Jiang Wang!”
“Jiang Wang!”

The shouts rent the heavens. It was he who had retrieved the chief name for the State of Qi. It was he who had defeated one after another of the formidable Heavenly Pride experts, planting the banner of Great Qi upon the Guan He Platform. One voice led a thousand, then ten thousand; a thousand and ten thousand voices converged into one mighty roar. The sound stilled the flying birds, halted the floating clouds, like a surging tide!

The entirety of Linzi was shouting his name. Wherever Jiang Wang looked, there were cheers like a collapsing mountain and a overturning sea. At this moment, even the peerlessly radiant Zhong Xuanzun at his side seemed to dim by comparison! The first and second place of the Yellow River Meeting, and Jiang Wang had secured one of them!

At this time, he dared not even activate his Voice-Hearing Immortal State; in this situation, it was utterly incapable of processing such a torrent of information. Every single person was shouting, every single person was expressing their emotions. The people were almost fanatical!

The expeditionary force moved forward along the main thoroughfare, advancing amidst the cheers of the people lining both sides. People shouted the hero’s name, they shouted for the Great Qi Empire, many of them their throats raw from the exertion.

There was one white-haired old man, hoisted high by two younger individuals, presumably his children and grandchildren. And this old man, held aloft in the air, raised his right hand in a fist, shouting desperately towards him, the wrinkles on his face seemingly about to crack. He wore a set of worn, faded military fatigues, his voice lost in the tide of humanity, difficult to discern. But his flushed face, his tear-filled eyes, made his expression profoundly moving. The position of his left arm was an empty sleeve, and this sleeve, like a flag, fluttered in the wind!

Jiang Wang did not know his story, nor did he know what this seemingly retired old soldier had endured. Had that man once charged into the Qi Xia battlefield? Had he once ridden at the forefront of Great Qi’s eastern domain conquering expeditions? Jiang Wang was utterly unaware. All he saw, in that fleeting moment, was such an old soldier, etched by the years.

But he was struck by the scene, falling into a deep shock.

What was a nation? The home of ten thousand families! He had gone to the Yellow River Meeting to gain a more stable, more secure life within the State of Qi, to be able to better protect his sister. It was to make a name for himself in the world, to see how far he could truly go, to test his mettle. It was also to compete with Zhong Xuanzun, to help Zhong Xuansheng shoulder some of the pressure… There were too many reasons, most of them rooted in himself.

It wasn’t until Cao Ji mentioned the Ten Thousand Demons Gate that he considered whether he should also do something more for the honor of the State of Qi. He had always, in truth, lacked a sense of belonging. If it weren’t for Zhong Xuansheng and his other close friends, the State of Qi would be no different from any other nation. Even with his title, position, and fief. Where it was more suitable for development, he could go there. His youthful ideals had long since been buried alongside the Feng Lin city domain. His birthplace, the place that raised him, had been abandoned without hesitation. The meaning of “nation” was, in truth, vague to him.

But at this moment, looking at that excited, unrestrained old one-armed soldier, his heart seemed to feel, for the first time, that there truly existed some connection between himself and this nation.

“To… Grand… Temple… Offer… Ritual!”

The ritual official’s voice rose high, carried far by the power of cultivation techniques. The expeditionary force, in a solemn atmosphere, continued forward, onward. They proceeded within the vast city of Linzi.

The entire city boiled with excitement for this event! They had departed Linzi with heads held high on that day, and now they returned in triumph! If someone were to look down from a high altitude, they would see, from the city’s western “Li” character gate all the way to the Imperial City’s Grand Temple, waves of humanity rolling in. The expeditionary force, having conquered the Guan He Platform, meandered through this human sea.

There will come a time when long winds break the waves. Jiang Wang suddenly remembered his first arrival in Linzi, and how he had been shocked by this majestic city, how he had seen this human mountain, human sea, and felt moved, thereby enhancing his Human Sea Vast Sword at that time. From his current perspective, those Human-Heaven Three Swords, born from traversing ten thousand li and comprehending the Human Sea Vast Sword, the Mountains and Rivers Sword, and the Sun, Moon, and Stars Sword, naturally possessed many shortcomings. Those Three Swords of Heaven and Man were merely in form, their inner meaning empty.

Thus, he later set aside those overly “grand” three swords and, taking the Human Sea Vast Sword as his foundation, turned to developing Human Dao sword styles. He left the vastness of the human sea to explore each individual drop within it. Combining his experiences, thoughts, and insights gained along the way, he finally evolved the Late-Life Sword of an Old General, the Down-and-Out Sword of a Famous Scholar, the Body Not His Own Sword, the Youthful Frivolity Sword, and the Lovesickness Sword. Finally, on the Guan He Platform, in the Human-State of a Sword Immortal, he integrated all the Human Dao sword styles, achieving the “Ren” (Human) character sword.

From the beginning until now, it constituted a wonderful cycle. At this moment, seeing this “human sea” again, he vaguely felt a sense of “What night is this tonight?”, further imprinting this feeling onto his heart, and further completing this sword. The single character “Ren” encompassed the hundred states and all living beings. This single sword should be explored with a lifetime, and even an entire world might not exhaust its meaning.

The team halted before the Grand Temple, and Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuanzun dismounted. Naturally, no one dared to ride their horses into the Grand Temple; even the generals and soldiers of the Tian Fu Army who had escorted them stopped here.

Cao Ji, leading Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuanzun, continued to walk forward. On the solemn and serious Grand Temple square, the three of them walked with slow steps. At this time, the sun hung high, their shadows stretching long across the square.

The Great Qi Emperor still sat upon the high vermillion steps. The various princes and princesses were also in their seats before him. The high platforms on either side were still occupied by civil and military officials, randomly selected common people, and hundred-year-old elders blessed with good fortune and longevity.

Everything was the same as the day of the “Grand Master Ceremony.”

And yet, everything was also different.

That day, they had sworn their oaths.

Today, they returned in triumph.