This middle-aged man was a rare and powerful figure even among those of the Heavenly Rank, surpassing even Hé Liån Qngtiän who had previously fallen at Pei Xuanjing's hands.
The terrifying murderous intent seemed to materialize, and in the moment he made his move, a long saber emanating an intimidating aura appeared in his hands. The saber blade emanated flowing light, and its sharp saber intent seemed to nearly slice through the air, cutting it apart.
The middle-aged man decisively swung his saber, a blaze of brilliant saber light illuminating the vault of the sky, turning the formerly dark night into what seemed like daytime under this dazzling saber light.
Looking far into the distance, it was as if the endless sky was being cleaved by this strike.
In the blink of an eye, all sounds on Long Street faded away, leaving only the dragon-roaring and tiger-howling-like echo of the saber ringing out.
With a swing of the saber, countless Heaven and Earth Essence Qi converged, forming a saber dragon that rushed towards Pei Xuanjing with a roar.
The coachman, who had seen such a terrifying strike, was so shocked that he seemed to have forgotten how to dodge.
This sudden rise in momentum instantly caught the attention of numerous experts in the Capital. Their eyes were involuntarily drawn towards the direction of Long Street, curious about who was so audacious as to engage in such a fierce fight within the Capital.
This murderous intent was firmly focused on Pei Xuanjing in the carriage, who most clearly acknowledged the potency of this strike.
Feeling the overwhelming saber intent, Pei Xuanjing laughed faintly, murmuring to himself, "A person from Da Li?"
"Heh heh, is that all?"
The light voice that came from the carriage casually suppressed the saber hum that echoed throughout Long Street.
If it had been Pei Xuanjing who had just broken through, facing this strike would likely have warranted a more cautious approach.
But now, his mind and energy were at their peak. What others saw as a terrifying move was nothing more to Pei Xuanjing!
Buzz!
Without getting up from his carriage, Pei Xuanjing merely flicked his Longevity Sword with a finger, and a crisp sword hum resounded. Almost in the instant the sword reverberated, a magnificent and imposing sword intent permeated the air.
What followed was an aura more terrifying than that of the middle-aged man, spreading out from the carriage, with its aggressive edge piercing the sky.
In an instant, the sky that was previously enveloped by saber intent and saber light was shattered by this unrivaled sword intent.
Sizzle…
The sword intent effortlessly tore through the rolling saber light, as simple as tearing through paper.
The sword intent, undiminished in its residual might, then charged towards the middle-aged man.
The sword light shot through at an angle, swift as lightning.
The middle-aged man's face turned pale. He had never expected his opponent to be this unfathomably powerful; it was utterly incredible and unheard of. He immediately held his saber horizontally, aiming to crush this sword intent.
Boom!
Like an earthquake and a landslide, the smoke and dust billowed, hot waves radiated in all directions.
By the time the dust and smoke had cleared, there was no trace of the middle-aged man.
All that was left in the spot where he had once stood was a pool of blood, clearly indicating that he had been injured by that strike.
"Mr. Min?" The coachman asked softly.
"Let's go!" Pei Xuanjing's voice came out.
Apparently, he had no immediate intention of pursuing the matter further.
Although the opponent had blocked his sword, he had been injured by the sword intent. Within his body, a sword intent from Pei Xuanjing lingered, allowing Pei Xuanjing, upon their next encounter, to instantly identify him based on this sword intent.
Although it was a brief encounter, Pei Xuanjing had roughly guessed the man's origin. At present, the only ones who could harbor such animosity towards him were people from Da Li.
If that powerful man had been alone, Pei Xuanjing would effortlessly have been able to slay him. However, the fact that he could leave so easily indicated that someone was assisting him. At least, when the man had left, Pei Xuanjing had sensed the presence of another individual of Heavenly Rank.
Facing two Heavenly Rank experts alone was nothing to Pei Xuanjing, but if his opponents were focused on fleeing, it would require a significant amount of energy on his part.
The intense clash had been brief, but it had nonetheless attracted considerable attention. After all, this was a significant event in the Capital Area, and any event of this nature would attract attention.
At this moment, countless individuals were hurrying towards this location. Pei Xuanjing had no interest in wasting time here.
There was still ample time for Pei Xuanjing to deal with them in the future.
Having heard Pei Xuanjing's words, the coachman nodded respectfully and continued to drive in the direction of the Everlasting Observance.
However, he had made up his mind to report this incident to Your Highness the Prince as soon as he returned.
Indeed, as Pei Xuanjing had anticipated, such an intense clash was bound to draw a lot of attention, meaning there was no need for the coachman to report.
Not long after the carriage left, a night patrol general came with his soldiers to the scene.
Faced with the aftermath of a clash between two Heavenly Rank experts, the general did not dare to omit any details and immediately sent someone to report back.
Suddenly, news of the incident reached various factions within the Capital.
"Cough… cough…" Feng Yan coughed up blood, a flush of color returning to his pale face.
His aura seemed disturbed, his Primordial Qi turbulent, with an invisible sword intent moving randomly within him.
Ashina Zhenlu looked at the injured Feng Yan and frowned, asking, "How is your injury?"
Though he had already anticipated great power from Mr. Min, even Ashina Zhenlu was taken aback at the moment Mr. Min made his move.
It must be understood that Feng Yan, being a disciple of the National Teacher,
was not weak among those of the Heavenly Rank. There were not many in the world who could wound Feng Yan, but very few could do so with just one move.
Perhaps, as the National Teacher had suggested, the opponent had reached the same level as the National Teacher, putting him among the strongest in the world.
The fact that he had broken through the Heavenly Rank at the age of fifteen and had reached such a level was astonishing.
If he were to immerse himself in the Heavenly Rank for several decades, he might one day break through into the Realm of Heavenly People.
Just the thought of such a powerful figure emerging from the Great Tang sent chills down Ashina Zhenlu's spine.
"I can't dispel this sword intent!" Feng Yan's brow furrowed, his face changing.
Even though the sword intent had entered his body earlier, he hadn't been too worried, thinking he could get rid of it in time.
But no matter how he tried now, this sword intent seemed to be integrated into his body, reforming no matter how many times he broke it apart, and seeming to grow stronger each time.
"Hmm?" A flicker of surprise flashed in Ashina Zhenlu's eyes before he said solemnly, "Let me help you."
After saying this, he channeled his energy and joined Feng Yan to counter the blow.
Despite putting in several hours, the two of them were ultimately unable to rid Feng Yan of the sword intent, which grew stronger instead.
Finally, with no other choice, Feng Yan had to use a secret art passed down by his teacher to temporarily suppress the sword intent.
The price he paid for this, however, was a decrease in his strength by at least twenty percent..
"Five Heavenly Rank experts from Da Li have arrived in the capital, together with other experts from various sides, the number of Heavenly Rank experts this time has actually exceeded twenty, it seems they have formed a tacit understanding, as if they've come explicitly for me!"
Inside Everlasting Observance, Pei Xuanjing put down the message from the Prince's Mansion, silently guessing to himself.
This grand competition in the capital is a grand occasion for the empire to show its power, which started long ago from the previous dynasty.
Although it had been interrupted for various reasons, since the time when Emperor Taizong crushed the barbarians and made all sides come to the court, it was resumed, and by now, it had been carried on for several hundreds of years.
However, according to the old rules, all diplomatic groups entering the empire would be protected, so generally, each side would only send up to two Heavenly Rank experts.
Today, so many powerful men have come. To say they only came to protect their own delegations would hardly be believed by anyone.
According to the predictions of the strategists in the Prince's Mansion, it should be that the talent of Pei Xuanjing was too astonishing. The talent he has shown so far has led many people to believe that he might have a chance to step into the Celestial Human Realm, or at the worst, become a top-notch
figure who has half a foot in the Celestial Human Realm.
Now, the emergence of a potentially exceptional figure who might step into the Celestial Human Realm, how could it not cause fear from all sides, seen as a thorn in the eye and flesh, eager to get rid of him as soon as possible.
It must be known that Heavenly Rank experts are also known as Army-Breaking Levels, they can easily crush an army without an expert of the same level holding the fort.
The power shown by Pei Xuanjing on the prairie that day, which was capable of crushing the famous Red Sun Riders led by Hé Liån Qngtiän, was a cause for alarm, making it clear that his strength was beyond imagination.
The empire today suppresses all sides. Although it has declined a bit compared to the time when Emperor Taizong was on the throne, it is still a formidable force that leaves all sides gasping. Only Da Li can barely cope with it.
Therefore, no one wants to accept the emergence of such an expert in the empire. Even if Pei Xuanjing can't ascend to the realm of the Celestial Human in the future, even just being a strong figure like the Superintendent of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory would still be something the various power factions would not want to accept.
In the East Palace, the Crown Prince spoke to his brother-in-law, Wei Tao who was also the one who escorted Pei Xuanjing into the capital, "From now on, you will personally escort Mr. Pei into and out of the palace."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Wei Tao agreed, giving a fist and palm salute.
Even though he was older than Pei Xuanjing, the Crown Prince still addressed Pei Xuanjing respectfully as 'teacher'. It was safe to say that he was extremely careful in his etiquette, leaving no room for criticism from anyone.
As a prince of a country, there should logically be countless talents serving under him, and plenty of people trying to gain his favour and follow his commands.
But this was not the case. Because the Crown Prince was well aware, the position of prince was far less glamorous than outsiders had imagined. After all, an heir was still just an heir, not the true ruler. Every word and deed of his would be watched by countless others, waiting for him to make a mistake, then pull him down from his position and replace him.
All he could do was tread carefully while occupying the position of Crown
Prince, never giving anyone the chance to exploit any shortcomings of his.
And the most peculiar fact was that since the previous dynasty, it seemed that the initial heir apparent was always at risk. The struggle for the position of heir was extremely brutal, often leading to life-and-death duels.
Furthermore, with the reminiscence of Emperor Taizong's initial days, the current Emperor was highly cautious towards his own Crown Prince and Princes. And among the many princes, there was mutual vigilance and suspicion.
As the Crown Prince, one couldn't have too much or too strong a power source, for fear of provoking the Emperor's suppression. Yet, if there was no power in hand, then how could he deal with the challenges of those princes?
Pei Min, from the Pei Family of Hedong, had a clear and reliable background. His exceptional talent and strength were something the Crown Prince could trust, so he wouldn't dare to be a bit lax.
Half a month's time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time for the grand competition in the capital.
The grand competition in the capital lasted a total of seven days, with the first four days as the selection among the scholars of each province and path in the empire. The selected talents would then participate in the real competition in the last three days.
It was somewhat similar to the imperial examination. Initially, everyone would participate in the selection, and then the palace examination would be conducted.
However, unlike the imperial examination where one palace examination determines the ranking, the martial arts competition took three days.
The venue for the last three days of competition was set in a garden in the suburbs of the city which was actually a hunting ground belonging to the royal family, located at the foot of the Qinling Mountains.
During the three days of competition, the Emperor and civil and military officials would attend in person, and other various princes, princesses, royal princes, dukes, and nobles in the city would also participate.
It could be said that it gathers almost all the dignitaries of the entire empire. Many people believed that as long as one could enter this last three-day competition, it would mean that one had stepped into the sight of the empire's top personalities.
In the grand competition in previous years, there were those who had been defeated, yet had caught the eye of the influential figures, received investment and cultivation, so their martial arts careers were wide open, and in the end, they ascended to the Heavenly Rank.
After all, this was a competition to select talented youths, and was prepared for the cultivation of Heavenly Rank experts. Although Pei Xuanjing was only 16 years old, the current Pei Xuanjing had already advanced to Heavenly Rank, and therefore could not participate in this grand competition.
Even after Pei Xuanjing's promotion to the Heavenly Rank, the original quota he had occupied was filled by new personnel.
Pei Xuanjing didn't care about the competition in the first four days. When the last three days of the competition were about to begin, Wei Tao personally escorted him into the East Palace, following the Crown Prince to the venue of the competition.
After the Crown Prince's carriage arrived, the Crown Prince invited Pei Xuanjing, "Why don't you come with me, sir?"
"Alright!" Pei Xuanjing did not refuse.
Pei Xuanjing followed the Crown Prince to a high platform, which was the second best viewing place other than the one reserved for the Emperor and Empress.
In addition to Pei Xuanjing, the officials of the East Palace under the command of the Crown Prince also took their seats here one by one, and people were already waiting on the other high platforms around.
Pei Xuanjing's appearance also drew the attention of countless people, and many wanted to see this 16-year-old Heavenly Rank figure.
"Is that Pei Min?"
"A Heavenly Rank expert at the age of sixteen, that's terrifying!"
"He's handsome and outstanding."
"I wonder if he has a marriage contract yet?"
With Pei Xuanjing's keen perception, these words naturally didn't escape his ears. However, he didn't mind and calmly took his seat.
"Today, quite a few experts have come!" Pei Xuanjing could feel that many powerful figures were present in this place today. Just by the clear Heavenly Rank presence, he could sense there were seven or eight of them.
As Pei Xuanjing's gaze swept across, those people also seemed to sense something and nodded slightly towards Pei Xuanjing to express their goodwill. Pei Xuanjing also responded with a smile and a nod..
Just as Pei Xuanjing was listening to the Crown Prince introduce various factions, he paused abruptly, his gaze shifting towards the distance.
The Crown Prince quickly followed his gaze, only to see the Emperor and Empress arriving.
But Pei Xuanjing's attention wasn't on the Emperor and Empress, but on the slender, Taoist-robed elder behind them.
"Superintendent of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, Ye Daoyuan!"
Although this was their first meeting, Pei Xuanjing had already confirmed the man's identity.
This was the so-called number one strongman of the Empire, Ye Daoyuan, who had one foot in the Celestial Human Realm.
Indeed powerful!
Pei Xuanjing's eyebrows raised slightly. Despite the Superintendent appearing ordinary, he could sense the other party's incredible strength, a Dao intent that seemed to merge with Heaven and Earth and was on the brink of ascension.
A desire to challenge such a strong person stirred in his heart, and he wondered exactly how strong the other was.
As if sensing Pei Xuanjing's desire to fight, Ye Daoyuan's gaze also fell on Pei Xuanjing, causing their eyes to meet.
Many people noticed this scene.
One was a long-famed, established supreme powerhouse.
The other was a newly rising star, but with an impressive reputation and fighting record.
If these two were to clash, everyone was extremely curious about the outcome.
However, somewhat regretfully, the two merely nodded lightly at each other, their eyes met and then moved along, restoring calm, causing many to feel disappointed.
Moving his attention away from Ye Daoyuan, Pei Xuanjing focused on the Emperor, his Yin Spirit keenly sensing something about the Emperor's state, which made a hint of inexplicable expression appear on his face.
"Although the Emperor deliberately and inadvertently revealed the aura of a Heavenly Rank powerhouse, it can only deceive ordinary people. As expected, this Emperor is heavily injured, just like the rumors." His evaluation of the Emperor's injuries matched the information Pei Xuanjing had received, but he discovered something unusual about the Empress.
He spoke in a low voice to the Crown Prince next to him. "Has Her Majesty, the Empress, also ascended to the Heavenly Rank?"
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, the Crown Prince frowned and replied in confusion, "Sir, what do you mean by that? My mother suffered some injuries in the past and, as a result, has not been able to break through to the Heavenly Rank."
"Ah, I see," Pei Xuanjing nodded, falling silent.
He thought to himself, "This Empress, she keeps her cards quite close to her chest."
According to the information circulating outside, although the Empress practiced Martial Arts, due to some past incidents that damaged her fundamentals, she was stuck at the Martial Arts third tier, the Gang Qi Realm, and was unable to breakthrough to the Heavenly Rank.
"Who would have thought that the Empress, who was rumored to only be in the Gang Qi Realm, would turn out to be a Heavenly Rank powerhouse, and furthermore a formidable figure amongst the Heavenly Rank." Pei Xuanjing frowned.
"Does sir have anything to say?" asked the Crown Prince, a glint appearing in his eyes, as he asked quietly.
Pei Xuanjing decided to give the Crown Prince a hint, as he had been quite kind to him recently.
He shook his head, "Perhaps I have seen wrong. I thought Her Majesty, the Empress, was a Heavenly Rank powerhouse just like me?"
"Huh?" The Crown Prince's face remained unchanged. However, in his mind, an enormous wave was set off by Pei Xuanjing's last sentence.
His mother was actually a Heavenly Rank powerhouse!
And one not inferior to Pei Min, another Heavenly Rank powerhouse.
Although Pei Min stated earlier that he was mistaken, the Crown Prince, being highly intelligent, reacted quickly, realizing that Pei Min was implicitly hinting at him.
Knowing Pei Min's strength, he couldn't have possibly made a mistake about something like this.
Even if he realized he was mistaken, he could have used any excuse to gloss over it. Why did he have to say it out loud?
There could only be one answer, and that was that Pei Min was indirectly informing him that, in his opinion, her mother was indeed a Heavenly Rank powerhouse.
His mother, who everyone thought was stuck at the third tier Gang Qi Realm due to an injury, turned out to be a Heavenly Rank powerhouse, and furthermore, one that could rival Pei Min.
This revelation sent a shiver down the Crown Prince's spine and he was left utterly astonished.
"Why would mother hide her powers? And, does father know about this or not?"
This was an instinctive question that emerged in his mind.
The Crown Prince suppressed his shock and quietly said to Pei Xuanjing, "Perhaps sir really did see wrong. Everyone knows about mother's injury, she couldn't possibly be a Heavenly Rank powerhouse."
Pei Xuanjing nodded, "Yes, I must have seen wrong."
The two of them smoothly shifted the topic with the Crown Prince saying, "You might not be acquainted with the Superintendent. Perhaps, I could arrange a meeting for the two of you in the coming days."
Pei Xuanjing replied with a smile, "That sounds great!"
Next, it was time for the talent showdown between the geniuses from various sects across the states. Everyone watched with great excitement as these prodigies showcased their skills.
Pei Xuanjing also sat quietly on the high platform, watching the competition between these individuals.
What he didn't know was the mix of emotions that arose in the hearts of these talented competitors whenever their gaze fell on him.
If it weren't for Pei Xuanjing's presence, they would have been the most dazzling stars in this competition, becoming the focus of everyone's attention.
Unfortunately for them though, Pei Xuanjing's emergence had overshadowed them and eclipsed their brilliance.
It could be said that the talents of this same era were in a bit of a predicament. With Pei Xuanjing's presence, there would always be an insurmountable monument ahead of them, casting them into the shadows.
Yet, many of these people considered themselves lucky. With Pei Xuanjing's existence, they had perhaps the rare opportunity to witness the rise of a Celestial Human.
The first two days of the competition passed uneventfully. Many talents were also discovered. Given adequate nurturing, they had a great chance of ascending to the Heavenly Rank in the future and becoming formidable figures in their own right.
Whether they were the descendants of noble families from various states, or inheritors of martial arts sects and wandering martial artists, they all displayed exceptional talent.
Moreover, certain successors from the capital's prominent families and younger members of the royal family managed to reach the third tier of the Gang Qi Realm which was rather astonishing.
However, whenever someone looked at Pei Xuanjing, who sat on the high platform dressed in a simple gown with a long sword hanging from his waist, the comparison would make the others seem quite ordinary and uninteresting.
By the third day, the final day of the competition, the event had reached its climax.
This day, not only would the thirty-six geniuses selected from the previous two days compete for the top position, but the talented individuals from different countries' delegations were also scheduled to compete.