The trip to the royal palace proved quite fruitful for Jiang Chen.
First, this unassuming blade gave him a feeling of meeting a dear old friend.
Second, Princess Gouyu would be arranging some manpower for him, which could help solve his urgent needs.
Although his personal strength had grown considerably over this period, it was still slightly insufficient to cope with the great vortex in the Royal Capital that could worsen at any moment.
If he could deploy a few strong fighters, at least he could free up Jiang Ying to focus on managing the Marquis's Manor with peace of mind.
By the time he returned to the manor, it was already night.
Jiang Chen sat cross-legged, the nameless blade propped up before him.
One man, one blade, sitting opposite each other under the moon.
He circulated the Canglang True Qi within him. Right now, Jiang Chen was like a giant whale swimming in the vast ocean.
The Canglang True Qi within his body was continuously drawn out by him, swirling around like the waves of the ocean, spreading outward layer by layer.
Under the sky full of stars, Jiang Chen's Canglang True Qi shimmered with silver-white radiance, complementing the crescent moon. The layers of silver light sparkled like rippling waves, giving a sense of mystery.
In this moment, Jiang Chen was truly like a dragon playing in the waves, freely circulating his True Qi. His spirit felt as liberated as a divine dragon soaring beyond the nine heavens.
The light shining down from the myriad stars in the sky subtly formed strange streaming patterns, which intertwined with the Canglang True Qi guided by Jiang Chen, creating a strange celestial cycle.
Just at this moment, the stars in the cycle seemed like the eyes of ancient deities, all casting their gentle gaze upon this mortal corner.
Suddenly, a strange scene unfolded!
The nameless blade propped opposite him suddenly shot out a startling beam of light, like a celestial pearl hidden in the mundane world.
This beam of light shot straight up to the heavens, like an inverted bolt of lightning striking the sky, turning the Milky Way upside down!
*Whoosh!*
It was like a fleeting glance from an ancient world, like an ancient god suddenly opening its eyes once.
This world-illuminating radiance flashed across the sky like a bolt of lightning and vanished in an instant.
The next moment, the nameless blade began emitting a series of low buzzing hums, and the entire scabbard trembled along with it.
A terrifying power seemed to be bursting to break free, as if an ancient demon was trying to shatter its seal, as if the edge that could sever the earth was forcing its way out of the ground, as if thousands of fierce beasts were about to break out of their cages...
At this moment, Jiang Chen's eyes snapped open. His right hand gently rested on the hilt. "Partner, so you've awakened?"
Jiang Chen's touch was like a powerful seal, instantly suppressing all the impulses, all the imposing aura, all the wildness.
The hilt trembled a few times in Jiang Chen's hand before becoming still and docile.
Then, a strange halo quickly spread from the tip of the blade, coursing over Jiang Chen's entire body.
In this instant, man and blade became one.
It felt like a solemn ritual had been completed, a perfect fusion achieved.
In the next moment, a thought flashed through Jiang Chen's mind: this blade had acknowledged him as its master!
After this thought flashed, Jiang Chen felt a profound sense of calm, as if a protective talisman had been placed within him. An incredible sense of security quietly spread throughout his body.
……
In some extremely hidden corner of the Eastern Kingdom, a mysterious elder suddenly shot out a gaze of shock, staring at the world-shaking light that streaked past like a meteor. His eyes were filled with astonishment, surprise, and even a hint of fear.
"To possess such terrifying light... what kind of world-shaking powerhouse passed through here?"
If Dongfang Lu were here, he would recognize this elder as the legendary spiritual powerhouse of the Eastern Kingdom who had been in seclusion for centuries!
……
The next day, Princess Gouyu indeed brought four people. To be precise, four powerhouses, all of them high-level True Qi Realm experts.
"Jiang Chen, these four are experts from the Sheng Battalion of the Tiandu Army. You may call them Sheng One, Sheng Two, Sheng Three, and Sheng Four."
Sheng One was of medium build, around thirty years old, with keen eyes and decisive movements. Clearly the leader among the four, he was actually a Nine-Meridian True Qi expert.
Sheng Two and Sheng Three were twin brothers, both broad-shouldered and burly, full of brute strength, and both Eight-Meridian True Qi experts.
Sheng Four was a pale-faced youth, only a few years older than Jiang Chen. His appearance matched his personality: cold and aloof, giving the impression of someone taciturn and hard to approach.
"Does the four of you understand your duties?" Gouyu asked.
"We will follow Young Marquis Jiang's orders. We will scale mountains of blades and traverse seas of fire. We will brave dragon pools and tiger dens. To protect Young Marquis Jiang, we would rather die than fail."