Three days later.

Ling Family, Central Plaza. At this moment, atop the massive peak, countless Ling family disciples stood silently in the gigantic square. Their eyes held traces of awe and envy as they looked toward the plaza's center, where several dozen Ling Family disciples stood neatly. Waves of extreme, powerful True Qi radiated from them, enveloping the entire plaza.

Each of these individuals had reached at least the Sixth Layer of Sky Apex Realm; they were the most outstanding disciples of the Ling Family. They would represent the family, traveling to the heart of the Nine Provinces—Divine Capital—to compete in this edition of the Imperial Court's Heavenly Sword Tournament!

Since the Central Dynasty's establishment, the Heavenly Sword Tournament has been a lasting tradition, held once every five years, and is one of the most influential events of the entire court.

This qualification proves that they are the most exceptional existences among the current generation of Ling Family disciples!

At the forefront of these disciples were several figures standing upright, and Ling Chen was among them. Behind him stood Ling Xue and other geniuses from the third branch of the Ling family.

When they looked at the thin figure ahead, there was undisguised awe in their eyes.

Relying on his battle at the Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen's prestige within the Ling Family had undoubtedly reached its peak. Not only did ordinary Ling family disciples heed his words, even some direct line descendants from other branches greatly admired him.

With the Heavenly Sword Tournament about to begin, the Ling Family naturally began to organize the elite young forces, preparing the main forces to set out for the Divine Capital.

Ling Chen looked toward the foremost ranks and saw Ling Yuxuan standing with hands behind his back, poised as the leader among the Ling family's younger generation, occupying the most prominent position.

Ling Yuxuan merely glanced at Ling Chen before withdrawing his gaze. Suddenly, the sound of wind breaking echoed from the podium upfront, and several figures descended, led by the Ling Family Patriarch, Ling Tingfeng, with elders from various branches following behind.

Upon seeing Ling Tingfeng appear, the plaza's previous murmurs immediately ceased, and every gaze was filled with deep reverence as they fixed on Ling Tingfeng, clad in cyan, with an aura as vast as the ocean.

Ling Tingfeng stood atop the podium, looking down at the fervent young disciples below. Then, his gentle voice, like a spring breeze, echoed in everyone's ears.

"The Heavenly Sword Tournament is a grand event held every five years by the court, with warriors from across the Nine Provinces land watching eagerly. This is a prime opportunity for you to make a name for yourselves."

"However, the Heavenly Sword Tournament is aimed at the younger generation, and each family has limited slots. Even we, the Ling Family, have only you dozens of people. This might be your only chance in this lifetime, so you must give it your all and fight for the family's honor."

"If you achieve excellent results, not only will you earn significant ranking rewards from the tournament itself, but the family will also not treat you poorly, offering additional rewards."

Ling Tingfeng's voice contained a hint of seriousness. This tournament was a matter of great concern to even him as the Patriarch, as it was tied to the family's honor. Poor performance would significantly affect the Swordsaint Family's influence.

Upon hearing these words, many Ling family disciples couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions, their blood boiling. This time, they were fighting not only for the family's glory but also for themselves.

For fame and to be remembered in history.

"We shall not fail the family's expectations!"

Led by Ling Yuxuan, all the Ling family disciples clasped fists and shouted in unison to Ling Tingfeng.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on Ling Tingfeng's face, and then he spoke gently, "If you are ready, then set off. The entire Ling family is here, waiting for your victorious return!"

With Ling Tingfeng's words, excitement visibly surged on the faces of the young disciples present.

At that moment, two elders stepped out and waved their large hands, ascending into the sky.

These two were Third Elder Ling Lie and Fifth Elder Ling Zhen.

This trip to the Divine Capital would be led by these two.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the sky was filled with the rapid sound of wind breaking, as a colossal Flying Puppet appeared in midair. Like a giant dragon, this Flying Puppet spanned hundreds of meters, blocking out the sun, and was capable of accommodating over a hundred people.

"This is the Heavenly Dragon Divine Boat, capable of travelling tens of thousands of miles per day and possessing strong defense capabilities."

Gazing at the enormous dragon puppet suspended in the sky, a Ling family disciple couldn't help but exclaim.

"Indeed, the Heavenly Dragon Divine Boat is the only one our entire Ling Family has. If it weren't for participating in the Heavenly Sword Tournament, we wouldn't deploy it."

"It's also to guard against the Witch Fiend Sect. Those participating in the Heavenly Sword Tournament are our Ling family's talented individuals. If attacked by the Witch Fiend Sect midway, it would be catastrophic."

"Indeed, the presence of the Witch Fiend Sect remains a grave threat. After this Heavenly Sword Tournament, the family should be able to focus fully on dealing with them."

Several direct line descendants of the Ling family discussed fervently.

"Set off!"

On the podium, Ling Tingfeng surveyed the gathered Ling family members participating in the tournament and called out loudly.

"Go!"

Third Elder Ling Lie and Fifth Elder Ling Zhen exchanged glances with Patriarch Ling Tingfeng and then whipped their sleeves, swiftly ascending to the Heavenly Dragon Divine Boat.

Swish, swish, swish!

Below in the plaza, Ling Chen and the others also set off, True Qi enveloping their bodies as they demonstrated their Light Skill. They flew into the air like fleas, leaping onto the Heavenly Dragon Divine Boat.

On the podium, watching the many Ling family disciples soaring away, Ling Tingfeng's gaze turned solemn. The Heavenly Sword Tournament was a stage to showcase the young generation's strength of each family, and the Ling Family had not shown ideal results for several consecutive editions. Should this trend continue, the family's status at the court would likely be affected.

After all, the younger generation is a reserve resource for each Saint Family, symbolizing a family's potential and forming an essential part of its strength.

"Worrying is futile. Besides Ling Yuxuan, we also have Ling Yu, so the results shouldn't be too disappointing."

Behind him, a figure walked forward, revealing Ling Kun, another elder of the Ling Family. He seemed to have perceived Ling Tingfeng's concerns and voiced his reassurance. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Ling Yuxuan is too arrogant, and Ling Yu is still very young. I fear he may not handle great responsibilities well."

Ling Tingfeng shook his head.

But despite these words, he still held a sliver of hope for Ling Chen, as the latter had brought countless surprises to him.