Amidst the clamor, the grand ceremony of the Lian family’s ancestor worship unfolded, a spectacle so grand it could be called a rarity in Nan Yao City for years past.

This time, though the ceremony bore the name of ancestor worship, its true purpose was to declare the unshakable status of the Lian family as a hallowed ground for weapon forging. It was to proclaim to the world that the Lian family still possessed the capability of forging renowned armaments.

Lian Que, as the forging master of the Long Xiangsi, was the undisputed protagonist of the day. From beginning to end, he remained kneeling upon the elevated platform, akin to a clay idol or wooden puppet, allowing people to pay respects and array him.

Jiang Wang, observing as a guest, was naturally at ease, seated comfortably in his chair, silently taking in the expressions on Lian Que’s less-than-comely face. From initial delight and self-satisfaction, to utter numbness and exhaustion, it had taken but a single morning.

After an entire morning of tedious rituals, the first stage was finally completed. Only then was Lian Que permitted to move. As the caster of the Long Xiangsi, he personally undertook the task of wrapping the hilt and tying the tassel.

Once properly adorned, Lian family clansmen presented the specially crafted scabbard for the Long Xiangsi. Lian Que sheathed the sword, and the Long Xiangsi, like a dragon traversing the sea, let out a clear, resonant cry. The precious sword, hidden within its case, concealed its brilliance and nurtured its potential.

At this juncture, Lian Zhu Ping took custody of the Long Xiangsi and personally ascended to the offering altar. Following prayers to heaven and earth, the ceremony formally transitioned to the ancestor worship segment.

Amidst the flurry of activity, another series of rituals commenced, consuming a full two hours. Only then did Lian Que rub his legs and rise, preparing to descend the platform to retrieve the Long Xiangsi and present it to Jiang Wang, thus completing the final segment.

Just at this moment, a proclamation rang out from a distance, growing nearer: “The Fourteenth Imperial Prince arrives!”

The crowd swiftly parted, bowing in salute.

Lian Que’s brows furrowed at the sound, his steps quickening slightly. However, a family elder stood unmoving before the offering altar, lightly rebuking, “The Imperial Prince arrives, and you do not hasten to greet him? Where is your propriety?”

Lian Que sidestepped and pressed forward. “You wish to greet him, then go yourself. The renowned weapon is before me; I shall complete the ceremony first.”

“Impudent!” the family elder raged. “Merely forging a renowned weapon, and you dare be so rude? Do you still hold the family in your eyes? Do you still hold the court in your eyes?”

Even Lian Que, in his dullness, sensed something amiss. He did not argue with the family elder, merely turning back to look at Lian Zhu Ping. “Clan Leader! Is this your intention?”

But Lian Zhu Ping remained silent, simply bowing his body in salute. “Respectfully welcome the Fourteenth Imperial Prince!”

From his distant position below the platform, Jiang Wang saw that something was wrong. Just as he was about to ascend and inquire, a sedan chair approached the front of the platform. Ten sedan bearers carried it, and astonishingly, each possessed the cultivation of the Tongtian realm.

The sedan curtain lifted, and a purple-robed man with gold powder applied to his face stepped out. It was the Fourteenth Son of the current Qi Emperor, Jiang Wuyong.

The people of Qi still favored purple, considering it the most noble color. Those who wore purple were mostly princes and nobles. This person, upon alighting from the sedan, paid no heed to the crowd, merely walking towards the elevated platform with an air of self-importance. His large sleeves billowed, his steps were leisurely, and he naturally possessed a regal bearing.

He ascended the high platform and at first glance spied the Long Xiangsi upon the offering altar. His expression brightened. “A fine sword indeed! My heart is greatly comforted!”

Saying this, he made to move further forward.

Lian Que stepped in front of him, blocking his path, and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly. “Your Highness, this sword already has an owner.”

Before the Fourteenth Imperial Prince could speak, that same family elder from earlier directly reached out and grabbed towards Lian Que. “When is it your turn to speak? The Fourteenth Imperial Prince is present; how dare you be impudent!”

Lian Que turned back and delivered a punch. His heavenly gate opened, a fierce wind surged, and within his body, a furnace fire seemed to rise and leap. “Old Lian Lu Yue! Are you never-ending?”

The Lian family, masters of weapon forging, were not renowned for their combat prowess. This family elder possessed only the cultivation of the Tenglong realm peak. The collision of this punch and claw, however, was actually evenly matched.

Family elder Lian Lu Yue, after all, had not expected Lian Que to dare fight back. His face immediately lost all semblance of composure, and he erupted in fury. “Little brat dares to be rude!”

“Family Elder, calm your anger!” Lian Zhu Ping, of course, could not allow the situation to escalate further. He immediately intervened, stepping between Lian Que and Lian Lu Yue, separating them. At the same time, he rebuked Lian Que, “You behave yourself!”

“Who is not behaving?” Lian Que’s face was red with anger. “This renowned weapon has no relation to any of you. To use it for ancestor worship is already a kindness from Jiang Wang. What right do any of you have to decide its ownership?”

“Are you not a member of my Lian family? Is not your learning the secret transmission of my Lian family? Were not the resources for forging this sword supplied by my Lian family? Was not the furnace you used for forging this sword the ancient furnace inherited by my Lian family?” Lian Zhu Ping sternly questioned. “Now you say it has no relation to my Lian family?”

“From the beginning, I was forging this sword for Jiang Wang! From start to finish, Jiang Wang participated. A renowned weapon is forged by heaven; human power has its limits! This sword belongs to Jiang Wang, and it has from the beginning! It belongs not only to you all, but not even to me!”

Lian Lu Yue, standing to the side, coldly remarked, “Initially, you did indeed promise to forge a weapon for him, but you did not specify which one. Furthermore, if this Long Xiangsi is kept here, you can wholeheartedly forge another sword for him. That would not be breaking your promise.”

Lian Que stared at him in stunned anger. “Can words be spoken like this? Can things be done like this? Does the Lian family’s face mean nothing?”

Clan Leader Lian Zhu Ping slapped Lian Que to the ground. “Are these words you should be speaking?”

“Alright,” Jiang Wuyong smiled. “This Imperial Prince has merely come to see the new renowned weapon from my Qi country’s forging holy land. Why are you all so agitated? Moreover, make way and allow me a closer look.”

Family elder Lian Lu Yue immediately sidestepped. “Respectfully invite the Imperial Prince to admire.”

Jiang Wuyong composedly stepped forward. At this moment, a voice rang out from behind. “You best stand still.”

The voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally firm.

“And who are you?” Jiang Wuyong turned his head, his expression playful as he looked at Jiang Wang.

The Heavenly Mansion secret realm had only recently concluded. Furthermore, he had specifically come for the Long Xiangsi, making it impossible for him not to know Jiang Wang. To ask such a question was purely to express contempt.

Even a Divine Passage Inner Mansion expert, when compared to the imperial family of Qi, was not considered a significant figure, let alone merely a seed of the Divine Passage Inner Mansion!

“You do not need to know who I am. You only need to know…” Jiang Wang rose from his seat and pointed remotely towards the Long Xiangsi on the offering altar. “…That is my sword!”

Above the offering altar, the Long Xiangsi suddenly resonated on its own!

Jiang Wuyong, far from being angry, grew happy and could not help but praise it further. “A fine sword indeed!”

“Mine,” Jiang Wang added.

“Yours? The ground you step upon is the soil of Qi; the land you stand in is the country of Qi. Everything in the country of Qi belongs to the Jiang surname!” Jiang Wuyong said lightly. “It is the Jiang surname of the imperial family of Qi, passed down from ancient saints. Perhaps it is not from some obscure branch that has popped up from who knows where… Are you also worthy of the surname Jiang?”

“Everything in the country of Qi does indeed bear the surname Jiang. It is only a pity that it is not your Jiang, Jiang Wuyong’s Jiang.” Along with this voice entering the field was a large fatty whose eyes were almost squeezed together. He seemed to have been traveling in a hurry, his clothes slightly wrinkled. His ample frame also made his words less intimidating.

However, as he made his way through the crowd, everyone parted for him. He smiled narrowly at the Fourteenth Imperial Prince Jiang Wuyong, his expression devoid of the slightest reverence. “You want to represent the country of Qi? Are you not afraid your brothers and sisters will spank you?”

It was indeed Chong Xuan Sheng! When he was communicating affairs in the Qi capital, Linzi, he had heard the news of Jiang Wuyong’s journey to Nan Yao City. He immediately put down his current matters and personally pursued him. He had finally arrived in Nan Yao City in time to personally support Jiang Wang!

Before he even spoke, he had already quietly communicated with Jiang Wang. Therefore, as soon as his words were finished, Jiang Wang cooperatively asked, “This is the Fourteenth Imperial Prince. How dare you speak to him like that?”

Chong Xuan Sheng deliberately covered his mouth with his hand, leaning slightly towards Jiang Wang, pretending to speak in a low voice. “The imperial family is naturally noble. But our monarch has nine daughters and seventeen sons. Aside from the Crown Prince, the most outstanding and publicly recognized are the third imperial daughter, the ninth imperial son, and the eleventh imperial son. There is no position for the Fourteenth Imperial Prince, eh?”

“And I am different! The entire Chong Xuan family is now just me and Chong Xuan Zun contending. Counting me, I have half of the Chong Xuan family. He, Jiang Wuyong, is only an imperial prince. Though the imperial family is noble, there is only one supreme. This one doesn’t even have a hair of it. You say I fear him a bird?”

He pretended to be speaking quietly, yet his voice was clear enough for the entire field to hear. Jiang Wuyong, with his gold powder applied face, turned green and then pale with anger. But what Chong Xuan Sheng said was the truth, at least regarding his own part, it was so. The struggle for the imperial throne was extremely fierce. With his strength, how could he dare to admit he wanted to represent the country of Qi?

Fortunately, as an imperial prince, he naturally did not lack loyal servants to protect their master.

“This is the sword weapon of my Lian family,” said Lian family elder Lian Lu Yue. “The Fourteenth Imperial Prince does not merely say he will admire it; he even wishes to collect it. My Lian family is loyal and devoted to the imperial family; how can we refuse?”

At this moment, Lian Que had already crawled up from the ground. The anger in his eyes had never faded. At this moment, amidst the raging fire, it was almost tangible, nearly burning out from his eyes. He saw him cut his palm with his fingers, raise his bleeding left palm high, and declare in a loud voice, “I swear by the honor of a forging master! This Long Xiangsi is Jiang Wang’s sword weapon! It has no relation to me, Lian Que, and even less to the Lian family! The Lian family has no right to decide its ownership!”

Lian Lu Yue rebuked, “The Clan Leader is still here! It is not your turn to declare anything in the Lian family! Honestly, get back for me!”

“Hehehe.” Chong Xuan Sheng let out an endless cold laugh.

Initially, Jiang Wang had not listened to his advice and was unwilling to maximize his interests, insisting on returning the life plate. He also found it difficult to say anything. In the end, Lian Que forged a renowned weapon, which could also be considered a happy outcome for everyone.

As a result, the Lian family messed up everything, creating waves upon waves. They turned an ancestor worship ceremony into a confused offering of a sword. These guys named Lian were simply becoming more and more backward in their ways. Chong Xuan Sheng had long been unaccustomed to their behavior. At this moment, he did not give them any face, coldly saying, “There is no need to sing a duet here. No matter how you Lian family performs, I only ask everyone to remember one thing: whoever dares to steal Jiang Wang’s things, I, Chong Xuan Sheng, will stake everything to hit their face!”

As one of the heirs of the Chong Xuan family, the weight of Chong Xuan Sheng’s words was beyond doubt.

“I am not singing a duet with them!” Lian Que suddenly shouted in a loud voice, his expression utterly grieved and indignant. He surveyed the high platform, looking left and right. He saw the incomprehension of the Lian family clansmen, the anger of the Lian family elders, the mockery of the outside observers, and the contempt of those like Chong Xuan Sheng.

Yes, how could he possibly not know? Everyone would think so. As the only forging master in the Lian family in nearly fifty years to forge a renowned weapon, and the person who personally forged the Long Xiangsi, how could he, Lian Que, not know that the Lian family intended to offer the sword to Jiang Wuyong?

Everyone would think so. Just as initially, everyone felt that his survival from the Heavenly Mansion secret realm relied on fawning and begging. No one would listen to how he explained. No one would believe him. All the despicable, faithless, and shameless deeds that should have belonged to the Lian family also simultaneously fell upon his body.

What was in his heart at this moment, outsiders had no way of knowing. People could only see, with wide eyes—

Lian Que’s expression was one of profound grief and indignation as he looked around, finally fixing his gaze on Jiang Wang and saying, “Brother Jiang, I cannot bear this great humiliation! And I have no face to see you bear this humiliation!”

He actually turned his hand and struck his own heavenly spirit with his palm, ending his own life!