In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

It can be said that Gai Nie's strength is already very close to that of the legendary Heavenly Sword.

"So powerful? But why would Gai Nie betray the empire?"

"Who knows! But Gai Nie's betrayal must be related to the child beside him, but who is this child? Why is he with Gai Nie? It remains a mystery..."

Inside the entertainment districts, people from all walks of life listened with great interest.

As for the final mystery, besides curiosity, there are various speculations.

"Speaking of which, if the Empire's number one swordsman is so powerful, wouldn't it be suicide for us to go there?"

"Is there no expert in Kyushu who can defeat Gai Nie?"

"Within the Nine Provinces, there are certainly masters who can defeat Gai Nie."

Leaving aside other matters, there are at least five masters of swordsmanship in Kyushu alone, and countless swordsmen comparable to them.

"So many? Gai Nie is the Empire's number one swordsman!"

If so many masters surpass him, wouldn't his title as the Empire's Number One Swordsman be nothing more than a hollow one?

For a moment, everyone looked at the man who was speaking so eloquently with suspicion in their eyes.

But the man calmly sipped his wine, ate a few spiced peanuts, and slowly began to speak:

“Gai Nie is the empire’s number one swordsman. The swordsmen I’m talking about are not under the empire’s control.”

Moreover, you all think that so many swordsmen are just ordinary people, but the swordsmen I am about to talk about are all top sword saints who are famous throughout the land.

Let's start with the sword masters who can rival Nie. The first one is the well-known Young Master Zhang.

Young Master Zhang's Pure Yang Finger is renowned throughout the land, capable of bringing the dead back to life and healing the wounded. But the masters of the martial world all know that Young Master Zhang is also proficient in swordsmanship.

In particular, his swordsmanship includes two invincible sword techniques—the Supreme Sword Prison and the Primordial Spirit Sword—both capable of defeating Gai Nie instantly!

"Young Master Zhang's Supreme Sword Prison and Primordial Spirit Sword? That's certainly accurate, and there's no doubt about it!"

Many martial arts practitioners present nodded in agreement. Gai Nie's sword was at most an ordinary sword, while Zhang Xiaoshan's sword was a 'divine' sword.

"There's also the Flying Immortal Sword Technique of the Golden-Faced Buddha and the Palace Mistress of the Inviting Moon Palace, the Divine Sword Technique of Yan Nantian, the number one hero of the Nine Provinces, and the last one is the legendary Heavenly Sword Nameless!"

"Golden-Faced Buddha, Inviting the Moon, Yan Nantian, Heavenly Sword Nameless!"

Most ordinary people have never heard of these names; only Yan Nantian is familiar with them.

But so much time has passed, and all that remains of Yan Nantian are memories.

"These experts are all above Gai Nie!"

The people in the martial arts world all nodded in agreement, after all, that man had revealed several peerless sword techniques, all of which had terrifying combat records.

"As for swordsmen who can rival Gai Nie, there are many."

Sword God Ximen Chuixue, the white-clad swordsman by the East Sea, Xue Yiren of Xue Family Manor, Wei Zhuang, one of the Twin Heroes of Ghost Valley and leader of the Quicksand, the black swordsman who recently reappeared in the martial world, the female warrior beside Young Master Zhang, the chief steward of the Zhang family in the capital, the Evil-Repelling Sword Yu Huatian, the Sword Saint of Dugu Sword Furnace, the Wooden Taoist of Wudang, the eldest master of Little Sage Manor...

These top swordsmen, renowned throughout the martial arts world, made everyone suddenly realize what was going on.

Some of these swordsmen may not be a match for the Sword Saint Gai Nie, but without exception, they are all top swordsmen in the martial arts world who can rival Gai Nie.

We could even win the battle.

For a moment, everyone looked at the man who was speaking, their eyes filled with doubt.

This was definitely prepared; otherwise, how could they have explained it in such detail?

However, many martial arts practitioners or aristocratic families nodded, and at the same time, they accurately threw a few taels of silver, some even mixed with a bit of gold, in front of the man.

Reward!

"Thank you all for your generous gifts!"

Looking at the nearly one hundred taels of silver in tips on the table, and even a gold ingot, the man couldn't help but get excited. This was more than he earned in a year.

(Li Mahao)

"Well said, I will reward you."

But you've really messed things up today, hahaha..."

Did I mess up?

Upon hearing this, the man looked puzzled.

Only a few people in the martial arts world nodded thoughtfully. Originally, it would have been fine if they hadn't said anything, but now that everything was out in the open, it was going to cause some trouble.

It should be known that swords and sabers account for 95% of all weapons in the world.

The remaining five percent consists of the other eighteen weapons.

The rough-looking man inadvertently created a ranking of top swordsmen, and the fate of those swordsmen who chased fame and fortune was predictable.

If you encounter someone with a good temper, you might be spared.

If you encounter someone with a bad temper, like Ximen Chuixue, the Blood-Clad Man, the Black Swordsman, Wei Zhuang, or the White-Clad Swordsman, well...

Therefore, once this list of top swordsmen, similar to a swordsman ranking, was released, another bloodbath swept through the Nine Provinces.

Chapter 668 Gai Nie's Perilous Situation at Mingjian Villa

Top Swordsmen of Kyushu!

The above describes eight swordsmen at the level of sword god (grandmaster) and twenty-three top swordsmen. It is a finished product that Zhang Xiaoshan embellished after the news spread.

The eight sword masters were originally five, but Zhang Xiaoshan condensed them into four. In addition, he also added Liu Sheng Piaoxu, the God of Slaughter Wu Anjun, the Compassionate Nun Fan Qinghui, and the Rain-Overturning Sword Waves. All of them were Grandmaster-level experts.

Needless to say, Fan Qinghui cultivated a technique called the Cihang Sword Manual, making her a master of swordsmanship.

The whisk in his hand was a specially made Hunyuan whisk by Zhang Xiaoshan, with a handle carved from Tianshan cold jade and the whisk itself woven from thousand-year-old ice silkworm silk. Its enhanced merit reached ten thousand merits, making it a peerless divine weapon.

As for Liu Sheng Piaoxu, she was a female warrior by Zhang Xiaoshan's side, so no one was surprised that she had entered this field.

The Sword Master of Overturning Clouds and Rain is also a top-tier swordsman who wields ultimate power in evoking public opinion, and the only requirement for being included among the Sword Gods is self-evident—

Great master!

As for the God of Slaughter, Lord Wu'an?

The moment the name was uttered, it shook the entire land of Kyushu.

There is only one Lord Wu'an in the entire Nine Provinces who can be called a god of slaughter.

Converted to age, it's at least over a hundred years old, and rumors say it perished fifty years ago, so how come this monster is still alive?

Zhang Xiaoshan listed this old monster as a sword god-level expert, and those who know the facts naturally understand why.

That's a demonic sword that can rival a supreme divine weapon!

Below the eight great sword gods are twenty-three top swordsmen, all of whom have reached the 'Sword Saint' realm of oneness with their sword, varying in strength.

But even the weakest top swordsman—Duan Tianya, the Illusion Swordsman—can rival a peerless master.

Therefore, the release of the list caused an uproar throughout the entire Kyushu.

In particular, Zhang Xiaoshan's annotations, highlighting the difference between Grandmaster and Peerless Realm, made most swordsmen realize the gap between them.

If you want to challenge someone, you must at least reach the pinnacle of strength, with a combat power of 543 comparable to a peerless master.

Especially those ranked in the top ten, each of them has reached the level of a half-step Grandmaster, and can fight against a Grandmaster.

And each has its own title—

Sword Saint Gai Nie, Divine Sword Xie Xiaofeng, Immortal Sword Master Fei Xuan, Sword God Ximen Chuixue, Great Swordsman Chen Sheng (Black Swordsman), Horizontal Sword Wei Zhuang, Evil-Repelling Sword Yu Huatian, Lifeless Sword White-Clad Man, Demon Sword Yan Beifei, Prodigal Sword Linghu Chong!

Of the ten top-tier sword saint-level masters, apart from Shi Feixuan, who was randomly added by Zhang Xiaoshan, the others are all renowned swordsmen in the martial arts world.

Moreover, there is no specific ranking among the top ten swordsmen, since the differences between these swordsmen, as well as the timing, location, and personal factors, can all influence the outcome of the battle.

No one doubted this.

Because this list was edited by Zhang Xiaoshan in post-production, and who is Zhang Xiaoshan?

Its position in Kyushu is absolutely unshakeable!

This list also terrified most people.

I never imagined that in the land of Kyushu, where top masters have always dominated, there would be so many top-tier swordsmen.

Even the Ten Great Swordsmen, who are all grandmaster-level experts, dare not be careless.

Even if the 'Sword Saint' were to turn the tables and kill the 'Sword God', it's still a possibility.

Moreover, these are just impromptu lists of swordsmen. If they were replaced with other masters, how many more would be hidden in Kyushu?

"Wow, uncle, you're in first place up there?"

In a bustling town in Kyushu, Gai Nie, disguised, travels the world with a young boy.

At this moment, the young man held the latest list in his hand, which was compiled by Zhang Xiaoshan and circulated throughout the martial arts world. Although there was no specific ranking, Gai Nie's name was still listed as number one!

"It's not first, it's just that the second list starts with Sword Saint."

Tianming, you must remember: you must not have the desire to compete for fame and fortune. If you step on others to get ahead today, others will step on you to get ahead in the future.

This list is not a good thing; it means that in the future, it won't just be the Empire that's chasing us, but many more swordsmen.

Swordsmen often engage in life-or-death duels, sometimes resorting to any means necessary to achieve their goals!

"Uncle, aren't we in great danger?"

The boy was also intelligent and quickly understood his situation.

The imperial pursuit was already difficult enough, but now that the list has been released, many people will inevitably resort to any means to attack Gai Nie.

"It is very dangerous. I never expected that the Zhang family would come up with such a list at this time."

Was it a conspiracy or a coincidence?

Gai Nie looked at the list in his hand, and coincidentally, he was the first one.

You should know that everyone above is a top-notch swordsman, and Wei Zhuang, having been tempered by the Flying Immortal Sword Technique twenty years ago, is at least no less skilled than him.

However, Gai Nie was confident in his character.

Others, such as Xie Xiaofeng who survived the Fifteen Deadly Swords, Ximen Chuixue who honed his sword with the help of Ye Gucheng, the mysterious man in white, and the Demon Sword Yan Beifei, were all inferior to him.

This list is enough to disrupt the lives of too many people.

This is completely out of character for the Zhang family.

"Uncle! Uncle... what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I was just a little distracted."

Alright, we shouldn't linger in crowded places; it's best to leave.

In that brief moment of distraction, Gai Nie felt several gazes fixed on him. He didn't know who they were, so he decided to leave first, so that no innocent bystanders would get hurt if a fight broke out later.

"Gai Nie, don't run away!"

Noticing Gai Nie's retreating figure, a dozen burly men dressed in black suddenly leaped out from the side of the restaurant.

Even Gai Nie frowned; these people were all experts, and not just ordinary江湖草莽 (jianghu caomang, meaning rough and unskilled people from the martial arts world).

"Are you from the Famous Sword Manor?"

Gai Nie looked at the mark on the other person's collar. Mingjian Villa was a famous and righteous sect in the martial arts world.

The master swordsman is a grandmaster of swordsmanship in the martial arts world, and he was among the twenty-three top swordsmen on this list. Unexpectedly, he was the first one they found.

"Indeed, our lord has specially invited the Sword Saint to the Famous Sword Manor for a discussion!"

"In that case, let's do it together."

He acknowledged Mingjian's reputation and didn't consider him a villain.

Although he didn't know why the other party wanted to see him, and it was just for the ranking, Gai Nie still wanted to find out.

Everyone looked surprised, not expecting it to be so easy.

It should be noted that Gai Nie's current fame, besides being worth 100,000 gold coins, is also a super pawn for washing away reputation.

"Uncle!"

"It's nothing, Uncle is just meeting a friend this time."

The people in the town had overheard the conversation and were surprised to find that the man in the middle was none other than Gai Nie, the number one swordsman who had become famous throughout the land!