Chapter 130: One Glance Reveals You’re Not Human! It’s Here—if You Can’t Block It, You’re Dead!
“Grandmaster…… Grandmaster?”
On the second floor of Listen to the Wind Tower, many people gasped.
They simply couldn’t believe their own eyes.
Ji Qing is a Grandmaster?
Regarding the rule “Grandmasters Do Not Enter Rankings,” many Jianghu people actually knew about it.
The Jianghu Ranking compiled by Ling Xiao Pavilion included almost all Martial Artists in Jianghu.
There were rankings for everything.
Saber Ranking, Swordsman Ranking, and so on.
Rookie Ranking, Villain Ranking, etc.
It was even said that a “Jianghu Beauty Ranking” was being prepared for release.
But the only one missing was the “Grandmaster Ranking,” which Ling Xiao Pavilion had never released.
They didn’t even have the idea of releasing a “Grandmaster Ranking.”
The reason was very simple.
They didn’t dare!
Ling Xiao Pavilion didn’t dare to rank the Grandmaster Ranking.
Since the Dharma-Ending Age, the number of Grandmasters in the world had been very few.
Every Grandmaster was a world-renowned existence.
If Ling Xiao Pavilion released a Grandmaster Ranking, how would they rank it?
Which Grandmaster to put in front?
Which Grandmaster to put behind?
Grandmasters rarely made moves, so who knew their strengths and weaknesses?
If it provoked the displeasure of the Grandmasters and they attacked Ling Xiao Pavilion, what then?
Others might fear Ling Xiao Pavilion, but Grandmasters did not.
Although ranking other Jianghu Rankings would also offend people, Ling Xiao Pavilion had a Grandmaster sitting in charge.
As long as it wasn’t a Grandmaster, Ling Xiao Pavilion wasn’t afraid.
They could rank other rankings casually, with the confidence to handle the consequences.
But the Grandmaster Ranking……
Ling Xiao Pavilion couldn’t withstand the wrath of a group of Grandmasters.
That’s why there was the rule “Grandmasters Do Not Enter Rankings.”
Once someone became a Grandmaster, no matter which ranking they were on before, they would be directly removed, and their name would no longer appear on any Jianghu Rankings from then on.
But Ji Qing had actually been removed from the Jianghu Ranking as well.
Ling Xiao Pavilion even specifically gave an explanation.
Doesn’t that mean Ji Qing became a Grandmaster?
“Mister Ji became a Grandmaster? This…… possible?”
“No, absolutely impossible! Mister Ji is only in his twenties; how could he have been promoted to Grandmaster?”
“More than a month ago, when Zhang Yuan went to Hundred Battles Sect to challenge Mister Ji, I was watching nearby. Mister Ji had just come out of seclusion then, and I saw clearly that he was still at First-rate Realm, definitely not a Grandmaster.”
“But Ling Xiao Pavilion wouldn’t be wrong. Since they removed Mister Ji with the reason ‘Grandmasters Do Not Enter Rankings,’ then Mister Ji must be a Grandmaster…”
The crowd was already arguing fiercely.
However, this was indeed somewhat strange.
Ji Qing is actually a Grandmaster?
This was too surprising.
Was Ji Qing really a Grandmaster?
Suddenly, someone said softly: “Is it possible that Mister Ji’s Saber Intent rivals a Grandmaster, so Ling Xiao Pavilion removed him from the Jianghu Ranking?”
As soon as the words were spoken, the Jianghu people who had been arguing fiercely all froze.
Yes, Saber Intent!
That was power at the Innate Level.
Even Innate Grandmasters were very wary of Saber Intent.
If Ji Qing’s “Saber Intent” rivaled a Grandmaster, then everything made sense.
Saber Intent was power at the Innate Level.
Perhaps in Ling Xiao Pavilion’s view, Ji Qing rivaled a Grandmaster or had Grandmaster-level combat power.
They treated Ji Qing as a Grandmaster, so he was not entered into the Jianghu Ranking.
Everything fit perfectly.
But it was still shocking.
For Ling Xiao Pavilion to treat Ji Qing as a Grandmaster was enough to show his current strength, even recognized by Ling Xiao Pavilion.
On the second floor of Listen to the Wind Tower, the many Jianghu people became even more heated.
Jianghu had been buzzing about this for the past month.
Ji Qing had condensed Saber Intent.
But many in Jianghu hadn’t realized what that meant.
Until now, with the release of Ling Xiao Pavilion’s Jianghu Ranking.
Ji Qing was removed from the ranking, and everyone suddenly understood.
Grandmaster!
Ji Qing had actually grown to rival a Grandmaster.
A Grandmaster in his twenties?
Even going back a thousand years, that would be a top genius.
This also explained why, after the news of Ji Qing condensing Saber Intent spread, Jianghu had been unusually quiet for a month.
Even Black Demon Sect had gone silent.
The birth of a “new Grandmaster” was power enough to change all of Jianghu, even the entire world!
The news had spread for a month, and only now were many people waking up to it.
Perhaps from now on, Ji Qing would truly deserve the title of Grandmaster!
Hundred Battles Sect naturally paid attention to Ling Xiao Pavilion’s Jianghu Ranking.
At the moment the Jianghu Ranking was released, a Disciple sent the news back to Hundred Battles Sect.
When Lie Yingniang received the news, she was almost stunned in place, unable to recover for a long time.
“Grandmaster…… Mister Ji is already a Grandmaster?”
Lie Yingniang looked toward the Martial Arts Pavilion.
She still remembered when Ji Qing first came to Hundred Battles Sect; at that time, he was just a Second-Rank Martial Artist.
And now?
Ji Qing was actually already a Grandmaster……
This news was very important.
Lie Yingniang immediately headed to the Martial Arts Pavilion.
“Mister Ji.”
“Come in.”
Lie Yingniang arrived at the Martial Arts Pavilion.
Ji Qing wasn’t in seclusion but seemed to be reading a pile of scrolls.
“What is it?”
Ji Qing looked up and asked.
“Mister Ji, Ling Xiao Pavilion just released the Jianghu Ranking, and you are not on it.”
“Not on it?”
Ji Qing was somewhat surprised.
He actually didn’t care much about his ranking on the Jianghu Ranking.
He only knew that Ling Xiao Pavilion had removed him from first on the Villain Ranking and made him first on the Saber Ranking.
“Not even on the Saber Ranking?”
Ji Qing asked.
“Right, not on the Saber Ranking either. And from now on, Mister Ji’s name won’t appear on any of Ling Xiao Pavilion’s rankings.”
“Why is that?”
Ji Qing truly didn’t know.
“The reason given by Ling Xiao Pavilion is Grandmasters Do Not Enter Rankings! This is also a rule of Ling Xiao Pavilion’s Jianghu Rankings: once someone becomes a Grandmaster, they are no longer ranked on any Jianghu Rankings, as a sign of respect to Grandmasters!”
Ji Qing could see the excitement in Lie Yingniang’s expression.
Her voice was trembling.
It was from excitement.
After all, that was a Grandmaster!
The strongest known in all Jianghu was a Grandmaster.
And now, a Grandmaster in his twenties stood before her; how could Lie Yingniang not be excited?
“Grandmaster…… but I’m not a Grandmaster!”
Ji Qing said coldly.
But he also knew Ling Xiao Pavilion wouldn’t err on something like this.
There must be a reason.
And it was definitely because of Saber Intent!
Sure enough, Lie Yingniang explained: “There’s discussion outside too; they think it’s because of Mister Ji’s Saber Intent. Ling Xiao Pavilion determined Mister Ji has Saber Intent, which is power at the Innate Level, so they consider Mister Ji to rival a Grandmaster.”
Ji Qing pondered.
Ling Xiao Pavilion could compile the Jianghu Ranking, so they naturally knew Jianghu people’s strengths very well.
Since Ling Xiao Pavilion determined that Ji Qing mastering Saber Intent meant he rivaled a Grandmaster, did that mean they thought Ji Qing had Grandmaster-level combat power?
Ji Qing actually couldn’t be sure about this.
He only knew that among First-rate Experts, even without drawing his saber, just using Saber Intent allowed him to sweep invincible.
But whether he truly rivaled a Grandmaster, Ji Qing had no confidence.
After all, he hadn’t seen a Grandmaster; how would he know how strong they were?
But since Ling Xiao Pavilion recognized his strength, Ji Qing now had confidence.
Ling Xiao Pavilion had a Grandmaster, so they naturally knew Grandmaster strength.
Ji Qing had been somewhat cautious about going to Shangdu before.
He still hadn’t set out.
It was because he lacked confidence.
But now, with Ling Xiao Pavilion’s “recognition” that he “rivaled a Grandmaster,” Ji Qing no longer hesitated.
So he said to Lie Yingniang: “I will set out for Shangdu soon.”
“To Shangdu?”
Lie Yingniang was slightly stunned.
However, she didn’t ask more.
Since Ji Qing had decided, he went back to Listen to the Wind Tower.
He already had a plan in mind.
But he still needed intelligence support from Listen to the Wind Tower.
“Shopkeeper Yu, I’ve decided to go to Shangdu. Does Listen to the Wind Tower have a way to let me approach Officials in Shangdu’s Imperial Court?”
Ji Qing asked directly.
“Approach Officials in the Imperial Court…… that’s difficult, but not impossible. Let me think.”
Intelligence flashed through Shopkeeper Yu’s mind.
“Got it.”
Suddenly, Shopkeeper Yu thought of a piece of intelligence.
She immediately rummaged through a pile of intelligence materials.
After searching for a while, she finally found one.
She handed the intelligence to Ji Qing and patiently explained: “Mister Ji, this intelligence is about a Chen Family household in An Yang City recruiting Jianghu Experts, specifically a Second-Rate Expert, to escort the Chen Family north to Shangdu.”
“According to Listen to the Wind Tower’s investigation, this Chen Family is an Official family; the Master is an Official in Shangdu. The rank isn’t high, just a Fifth-Rank Official, but with significant authority. Worried about rebellion issues and problems in An Yang City, he wants to bring his whole family to Shangdu.”
“The world is in chaos now, roads dangerous; the Chen Family fears risks, so they want to recruit Jianghu Experts—at least Second-Rate Experts! But they know little about Jianghu matters and don’t understand what a Second-Rate Expert means.”
“So after searching so long, they still haven’t found a Second-Rate Expert willing to escort them to Shangdu.”
Ji Qing took the intelligence materials and read them carefully.
Fifth-Rank Official, rank a bit low, but a position with real power.
If Ji Qing approached them, he could gain a more direct understanding of the Imperial Court.
He could even find out who decided Deification matters, avoiding going in blind.
“Good, the Chen Family it is! I’ll go to the Chen Family and escort them to Shangdu.”
Ji Qing made his decision.
He naturally knew why the Chen Family hadn’t recruited a Second-Rate Expert yet.
Although Ji Qing had killed quite a few Second-Rate Experts.
But Second-Rate Experts in Jianghu all had names and reputations; even if not dominating a region, they were renowned.
There were many ways to earn silver, so no need to be a Guard.
Moreover, Jianghu and the Imperial Court didn’t interfere with each other.
Normally, Jianghu people had no dealings with Officials.
So the Chen Family had recruited for so long without finding a Second-Rank Martial Artist.
But this was Ji Qing’s opportunity.
“Mister Ji, though I don’t know what you have in Shangdu, the waters there are deep, especially Imperial Court matters. If not necessary, better not touch them. Even if Mister Ji rivals a Grandmaster, Great Shang Imperial Court unified the world; who knows how many Experts they have.”
Shopkeeper Yu’s expression turned serious as she reminded Ji Qing.
The muddy waters of Shangdu were not simple.
One misstep, and even a Grandmaster might face trouble.
“I know what I’m doing; thank you, Shopkeeper Yu.”
Ji Qing stood and left Listen to the Wind Tower.
On his way back to Hundred Battles Sect, Ji Qing spotted a young-looking woman in a white dress in a corner near Hundred Battles Sect, her eyes flickering as she glanced at Hundred Battles Sect now and then, seemingly hesitating.
Ji Qing narrowed his eyes slightly.
For some reason, he faintly sensed a familiar aura on the white-dress woman.
But he couldn’t recall what it was.
His memory held no image of the white-dress woman.
Meaning he didn’t know her at all.
“Wait, this aura…”
A flash of insight struck Ji Qing’s mind.
He remembered.
Ji Qing used Lightness Skill, his figure blurring as he silently approached the white-dress woman.
But just as Ji Qing neared within three zhang, the white-dress woman seemed to sense it.
“Whoosh.”
The white-dress woman spun around fiercely, her gaze locking onto Ji Qing.
“Who?”
The white-dress woman snapped lowly; she saw Ji Qing.
In her eyes, Ji Qing was sharp as a blade all over.
“You’re ‘Astonishing Swan Saber’ Ji Qing?”
Ji Qing nodded.
“Miss, Ji Mou can tell at a glance that you’re not human!”
The white-dress woman’s heart jolted.
But Ji Qing gave her no chance.
With a thought, he unleashed Saber Intent.
“Boom.”
The white-dress woman felt as if facing the entire heaven and earth.
Heaven and earth pressed down, about to crush her to powder.
This feeling was too terrifying.
Her hard-won Intelligence seemed about to shatter.
“Mister Ji, spare me…… I came here with a request…”
The white-dress woman now emitted a layer of white glowing light around her.
Protected by this white glow, she barely resisted Ji Qing’s Saber Intent.
But it wouldn’t hold for long.
If he wished, Ji Qing’s Saber Intent could crush her to powder.
The reason was simple: the white-dress woman wasn’t human at all.
But not a Demon either.
Nor a Deity.
Instead, somewhat like the Demon Spirit in the Demon Saber.
Yes, similar to the spirituality of a Demon Spirit.
That’s why Ji Qing felt faintly familiar.
“Speak, what exactly are you?”
Ji Qing asked coldly.
He wouldn’t take such a “non-human” existence lightly.
The white-dress woman hesitated.
She thought it over and finally decided.
“I…… I’m a Spirit of the Tool! You can call me Ling Ling. I gained Intelligence in recent years, and now my Spirituality has reached Major Accomplishment. In cultivator terms, I’m now a Spiritual Lifeform.”
Ji Qing pondered.
A Spiritual Lifeform wasn’t a Demon, no wonder his Demon Record showed no reaction.
As for the Demon Spirit in the Demon Saber, it was just a bit of Intelligence, far inferior to the white-dress woman; the Demon Spirit hadn’t reached Spiritual Lifeform level.
Once a Spiritual Lifeform, it could cultivate independently, like a new special lifeform.
“Alternative lifeform…… then you should avoid me, yet you came specifically to find me. What for?”
Ji Qing asked.
“I am the Intelligence born from a Storage Jade Pendant. Over time, I became a Spiritual Lifeform. Originally sealed with my master, but he hasn’t awakened while I did early and escaped the seal.”
“Later, a Flying Sword in my master also gained Intelligence and became a Spiritual Lifeform. It escaped the seal too and has been hunting me, wanting to devour me to grow its Spirituality. I’m no match for the Sword Spirit; to survive, I had to seek external help.”
“I accidentally learned Mister Ji comprehended Saber Intent. With Saber Intent, you can surely defeat the Sword Spirit, so I came to seek your help!”
The white-dress woman knelt outright, looking pitiful.
Ji Qing was greatly surprised.
Hunted by a Sword Spirit?
No wonder she came to him.
“Aren’t you worried Ji Mou will refine you?”
Ji Qing narrowed his eyes, saying coldly.
With Saber Intent, since he could refine a Demon Spirit, he could refine other Tool Spirits too.
The white-dress woman’s heart tightened.
“I…… naturally know Mister Ji’s divine might. But I’m a Storage Jade Pendant Tool Spirit; my master was an Immortal Master. Even if Mister Ji refines me, you’d need Magic Power to open the Storage Jade Pendant and access the Treasures inside.”
“Mister Ji is a Martial Artist; even promoted to Innate, you have only Innate True Qi, no Magic Power, so you couldn’t open the Storage Jade Pendant. If Mister Ji keeps me, I can open it for you; all Treasures inside would be yours. Even for future Jianghu travels, I can help Mister Ji…”
Ji Qing pondered.
This Tool Spirit “Ling Ling” was indeed interesting.
She’d learned to tempt with benefits.
But what she said made sense.
If he forcibly refined Ling Ling, he’d get only a cold Storage Jade Pendant.
Unable to access the Treasures inside.
Keeping Ling Ling would maximize the Storage Jade Pendant’s use!
“Fine, Ji Mou agrees to protect you. But from now on, stay by my side and obey my commands.”
“Yes, Ling Ling will obey Mister Ji’s commands.”
Ling Ling was overjoyed.
She had carefully “studied” Ji Qing.
Though only a verbal promise.
But per her investigation, Ji Qing always kept his word.
He either didn’t promise.
But once he did, he absolutely followed through!
If not for Ji Qing’s reliability, Ling Ling never would’ve dared approach him.
“Can you transform back into the Storage Jade Pendant?”
“Of course.”
Light flashed on Ling Ling, and the white-dress woman vanished.
Replaced by a flawless white Jade Pendant.
The Jade Pendant flew into Ji Qing’s hand.
Ji Qing extended his hand and grasped it.
He examined it; Saber Intent sensed only the Tool Spirit Ling Ling.
But couldn’t probe what was inside the Jade Pendant.
Nor retrieve Treasures from it.
Ji Qing held the Jade Pendant and returned to Hundred Battles Sect’s Martial Arts Pavilion.
“Ling Ling, tell me what Treasures are in the Storage Jade Pendant?”
Ji Qing asked.
“Mister Ji, the Storage Jade Pendant has large amounts of Spirit Stones, Spirit Ores, Talismans, and various precious Materials for refining tools.”
“My master was once a Talisman Master with great wealth, amassing many Treasures. But with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Depletion, he chose to seal himself, hoping one day Spiritual Energy would recover, allowing him to awaken and continue his immortal path.”
Ji Qing frowned.
These were certainly Treasures.
Spirit Stones alone would drive Demon Slayer families mad.
But what Ji Qing needed most now was Spiritual Objects!
“No Spiritual Objects?”
Ji Qing asked.
“This…… to be honest with Mister Ji, when we entered slumber, there was still some Spiritual Energy in heaven and earth. Spiritual Objects…… were commonplace, not worth the precious storage space, so master didn’t store any.”
Ji Qing fell silent.
Spiritual Objects commonplace?
Thinking about it, in an era before Spiritual Energy vanished, Spiritual Objects weren’t everywhere, but certainly common; which medicine field lacked them?
Indeed commonplace.
“Besides Spiritual Objects, any other Treasures I need?”
Ji Qing asked again.
“Many Treasures; Mister Ji can check them one by one.”
The Treasures in the Storage Jade Pendant were prepared by the “Talisman Master” for himself.
Ji Qing, a Martial Artist, was far removed from a “Talisman Master.”
Finding helpful Treasures wouldn’t be easy.
So Ji Qing probed the Storage Jade Pendant’s Treasures while quietly waiting for the “Sword Spirit.”
He kept Ling Ling with him to resolve the Sword Spirit’s pursuit for her.
Moreover, Ji Qing was interested in the “Flying Sword.”
Time passed; about three days later.
“Whoosh.”
Ji Qing suddenly looked up toward the door.
“It’s here…”
As soon as he spoke, a white light instantly pierced the Great Door.
“Whoosh.”
Even Ji Qing couldn’t see clearly, only sensing a sharp edge rushing at him.
Ji Qing had a feeling.
If he couldn’t block it, he’d die!
ps: Two chapters, ten thousand five hundred words, seeking monthly tickets!
