The beginning of the game "The King of Heroes"

Chapter 727 He Jiu Comes to Seek, Number One on the Human Ranking (Part 2 Combined)

After returning to the real world, Qin Tian sat cross-legged for half a day, and he vaguely sensed the true nature of his enemy.

They might be the corrupted version of the Three Pure Ones!
Realizing this, Qin Tian felt a sense of urgency and began to cultivate silently. He used the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts as his foundation, kneaded the Jade Void Golden Chapter, adjusted his internal landscape, and forged his own path within the Eight-Nine Way.

With the help of the original body of the Heaven-Covering Demon, Qin Tian was resurrected and his cultivation broke through once again. Now he has seven orifices and has already covered the distance that others have taken several years to complete in just three months of his cultivation journey.

This was the result of Qin Tian deliberately slowing down.

In his spare time, he would sometimes calm down and savor the local cuisine. In this balance of work and rest, his understanding of the law of life deepened.

Although he was still in the realm of the seven orifices, the realm was merely a stepping stone for him.

He can open all nine orifices at any time if he wants, allowing the inner and outer realms to merge, and thus ascend to heaven in one step.

The reason he was stuck in the enlightenment stage was twofold: first, to explore the mysteries of the Dharma in this lifetime, and second, to create an external Dharma image that suited him. This was related to his future path of cultivation and could not be taken lightly.

As time went by, a magnificent and sacred image of Dharma emerged in his mind.

.........

On this day, Qin Tian had just finished slaughtering the delicacies of a large city and was on his way to another city.

A tall young man stood blocking the road. He looked to be no more than twenty-three or twenty-four years old. His eyebrows were like swords and his eyes were like deep pools. His appearance was not outstanding, but he had a unique charm. Just standing there, he was like a divine sword, exuding a heroic aura. It seemed that nothing in the world could trouble him and no enemy could frighten him.

Qin Tian: "You are!"

"I am He Jiu, greetings to Your Excellency!" He Jiu cupped his hands, appearing polite, but Qin Tian could sense the pent-up fighting spirit within him, like a dormant volcano waiting for an opportunity to erupt and soar into the sky.

"Number one on the list of people!" Qin Tian raised an eyebrow.

"It is indeed I, He Jiu!" He Jiu said modestly.

Sensing the overwhelming fighting spirit, Qin Tian chuckled and asked, "What brings you here?"

"I have heard that a reincarnated saint has appeared in the world, so I have come here specifically to find him!"

"I would like to challenge you to a battle, to experience the power of ancient immortals and gods, and to help me ascend to the heavens in one step!" He Jiu was like a divine sword that had been born, its sharpness fully revealed, and terrifying sword energy flowing from its blade.

"If you want my knife sharpened, be prepared for it to break and you to die!" Qin Tian said meaningfully.

"I am not afraid of death!" He Jiu, the Invisible Sword, had piercing eyes, like two astonishing sword energies, carrying extreme sharpness.

This sword energy is stored up but not unleashed; even if a half-step Outer Realm expert were to arrive, he could easily kill them.

This is the true value of being number one on the list.

At this moment, he has reached a point where he can go no further, but it is still quite difficult for him to ascend to the heavens in one step and summon a tribulation of lightning upon himself.

He originally planned to invite several top experts from the rankings after him to gang up on him.

Use this pressure to hone yourself, then return to your true self and achieve great success!
However, Qin Tian's appearance showed him a brand new path.

That is to fight against a sufficiently powerful opponent.

When I heard that this person, who ranked third on the list, was a deity from an incredibly distant era, I was astonished.

He also doubted whether the information from the Six Doors was accurate, after all, the existence of reincarnated saints was too incredible.

Of course, this is only because He Jiu is ignorant; there are quite a few divine reincarnations in this world.

But when they actually met Qin Tian, ​​all their doubts vanished.

Qin Tian simply stood casually in front of He Jiu, appearing relaxed and unassuming, yet without any flaws. Upon closer inspection, one could sense a suffocating sense of oppression emanating from him.

He Jiu felt as if he were facing a powerful sorcerer.

"The outcome of a battle with me might surprise you," Qin Tian said bluntly. "You might even suffer a setback in your Dao heart as a result!"

He was not a being of that realm after all. After coming to this world, the beings who fought against him were either mentally frustrated or doubted the meaning of life before their death.

The opponent also cheated, and lost their memory after the battle.

Clearly, although He Jiu is ranked first on the list of people, he is not among those who can use cheat codes. Once the war starts, he will most likely fall into despair and question his life.

"Even if it means my Dao heart is broken, I will not hesitate!" He Jiu said firmly.

"Pre-battle confidence is nothing; maintaining confidence after the battle is true strength." Faced with He Jiu's challenge, Qin Tian accepted.

"I hope that after the war, you will still maintain this determination to forge ahead!"

"I won't lose." He Jiu's gaze sharpened as he asked, "Do you need to adjust your condition?!"

"No need!"

"It won't take you more than a few moves to defeat me!" Qin Tian said truthfully.

Even the usually composed He Jiu couldn't help but feel a flash of anger at this moment. He was, after all, a master who had dominated the top spot on the human rankings for many years.

So, in his eyes, is it really that vulnerable?

"Please draw your sword!" He Jiu stared intently at the ancient broadsword that Qin Tian was carrying on his back.

"No need, I haven't broken in this knife yet, I'm afraid it might hurt you!" Qin Tian said frankly.

"How arrogant!" He Jiu could no longer contain himself, his anger rising, and he attacked directly.

"Even if you are a reincarnated saint, you should know that this world is no longer the same as your time."

"Let me show you the swordsmanship of a newcomer!" He Jiu said proudly and boldly.

He rushed over from the He family the moment he learned of Qin Tian's existence. Fighting his peers in a group was not enough; only a battle against the reincarnation of an ancient saint was worthy of his name, He Jiu.

However, he did not know what kind of being he was facing, nor did he know what this battle meant!
"bump!"

Like a silver bottle suddenly breaking and water gushing out, or like thunder rising from the ground, invisible sword energies shot out from all directions, trying to force Qin Tian to draw his sword.

"Sigh, I'm telling the truth!" Qin Tian shook his head silently. These days, nobody believes you when you tell the truth.

In the original novel, Meng Qi also spent ten years honing his skills before gaining the recognition of the Overlord's Absolute Blade, which perfectly matches the story.

He was only able to control the Overlord Blade because he was also a Thor.

Even if he, an outsider, obtains the Overlord Blade, it will still take him some time to truly master this peerless divine weapon.

Moreover, and most importantly, although the Overlord Blade is currently dormant, its power is at least at the level of a Human Immortal.

There is no peerless divine weapon at the level of external scenery.

Because this is already at the very minimum level, it can be said to have sunk to the bottom and fallen into a deep slumber.

However, its essence is too strong. Even though the supreme principles it contains are dormant, their mere existence can still disrupt the rules of heaven and earth, making it no less powerful than the Dharma Body level.

If he were to unleash the Overlord's Blade, the pressure emanating from his Dharma Body level would be enough to make He Jiu kneel down without him having to do anything.

Qin Tian formed a hand seal, his body merging into the void, thus avoiding the invisible sword energy unleashed by He Jiu.

"To merge with the void? Is that a technique similar to that of the Dharma King of the Luo Sect?!"

“Interesting, but I’m not without ways to deal with the void!” He Jiu closed his eyes and used his ancestral aperture between his eyebrows to perceive everything. With the interaction of their energies, everything around him slowly unfolded in his mind.

However, the next moment, this ability to perceive the surroundings was suppressed.

"This is?!"

"My unity with heaven and man has been suppressed!" He Jiu was shocked. He had never heard of the ability to suppress the unity with heaven and man before.

"What is this?" He Jiu couldn't help but ask.

"Using one's own heart to replace the heart of Heaven!" Qin Tian stated frankly. This was the culmination of his research into the One Lifetime Method, representing the ultimate sublimation of the unity of Heaven and Man.

There's nothing technically sophisticated about it; it's simply about using the characteristics of a state that doesn't belong to the enlightenment stage to amplify the state of unity between man and nature to its extreme.

He transformed that perception into the power of control, taking control of every bit of primordial energy in the world, so that other beings who were in harmony with the heavens and man could not detect anything in his domain.

The reason was simply that Qin Tian, ​​who controlled the heavens and the earth, refused his interview; it was that simple and brutal.

"Truly worthy of being a reincarnated saint!" He Jiu's eyes burned with fervor, like two wisps of sword energy emanating from them: "But I, He Jiu, am not to be trifled with!"

Even without the blessing of the unity of heaven and man, I am still number one on the human ranking!

"Slay!" He Jiu's eyes gleamed, filled with intense fighting spirit.

His five fingers moved in unison, unleashing sword energy that twisted and turned, its form visible but its trace difficult to discern, surging and undulating like waves, surging into the vast expanse, truly deserving of its name of "invisible".

The invisible sword energy crisscrossed and formed an array, stirring up elemental waves that actually forced Qin Tian out of the void, forcing him to face the agile and ever-changing invisible sword energy.

"Interesting!" Qin Tian commented.

Sword energy shot out from He Jiu's fingertips, flowing freely, sometimes powerful, sometimes agile, sometimes ancient, and sometimes fierce. The dense sword energy covered Qin Tian's surroundings, blocking all his escape routes.

This sword energy is elusive and unpredictable, formless and intangible, difficult to grasp, its origin unknown, and its whereabouts unknown.

However, Qin Tian simply raised his hand and squeezed, and he caught the originally invisible sword energy in his hand. A faint golden light appeared on his fingertips, and when it collided with the sword energy, it made a deafening sound.

The invisible sword energy, powerful enough to pierce through metal and stone, could not harm Qin Tian's physical body in the slightest.

"Golden Bell Shield?" He Jiu asked.

"No, it's the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique!" Feeling the sharp aura emanating from his hand, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Qin Tian's eyes.

Although He Jiu's sword energy was strong, it could not break through his initial cultivation of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.

Eight is the ultimate of Yin numbers, and nine is the ultimate of Yang numbers. The combination of Yin and Yang is the ultimate of eight and nine, and this Eight-Nine Mysterious Technique is the supreme technique that encompasses all Yin and Yang changes in the world.

It can transform into all things in the world, and can become all living beings and things under the primordial state.

All the virtues of the myriad things will gradually be integrated into the practitioner's body during the process of mastering the technique.

It absorbs the changes of heaven and earth into itself, becoming one with the immortal.

The effects of this scripture on physical training far surpass those of the Immortal Scripture by an immeasurable margin.

Even Qin Tian himself gained considerable fortune from the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique at the outer realm level, and his understanding of the "Eternal" realm became increasingly profound.

He had a premonition that if he reached the end of his path, he might directly achieve the Eternal Fruit, with combat power far exceeding that of ordinary Immortal Emperors. However, this was normal, even though it was only a chapter of enlightenment and a chapter of external scenery.

But this contains the wisdom and effort of one of the oldest beings, so it's only natural that it could help Qin Tian, ​​a quasi-Immortal Emperor, advance.

He Jiu made a series of attacks, unleashing invisible sword energy that shot out continuously, revealing its sharpness.

Unfortunately, the invisible sword energy couldn't even leave a mark on Qin Tian's body.

"Not enough, not enough! I need an even sharper sword!" He Jiu shouted, and with a snort from his ears and nose, four more sword energies shot out. He had even refined his ear and nose orifices into sources of sword energy!
Instead, it was pure white and condensed. The five sword energies, some straight and some curved, overlapped and alternated, striking one spot, causing Qin Tian's body to tremble slightly.

"Oh, not bad!" Qin Tian glanced at the spot where the five swords had landed, where a white mark was faintly visible. As time passed, this mark gradually disappeared.

Although he had only just learned the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, he had already grasped its essence and possessed an eternal and immortal charm.

He Jiu was breathing heavily. Looking at the person in front of him, Qin Tian's figure seemed to be infinitely magnified in his eyes, and the shadow he cast overwhelmed him.

"It only has seven orifices, yet it puts so much pressure on me!" He Jiu gasped for breath, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground.

He Jiu was momentarily dazed. How long had it been?
How long had it been since he had fought such a difficult battle? Facing Qin Tian, ​​he felt like a toddler who had just learned to walk, facing a powerful and imposing figure.

Those eyes, calm as an ancient well, seemed to gaze down upon all living beings from the heavens above.

He was just an insignificant part of it!

He Jiu suddenly realized that Qin Tian hadn't moved an inch since the start of the war!

"You're pretty good!" Qin Tian commented.

He is indeed an outstanding person born from this great world of supreme beings.

Although He Jiu disappeared from the story later on, his talent and wit were actually no less than any of the legendary team members.

If it weren't for the hindrance of his cultivation techniques, his achievements would have been far more than just one tribulation.

After all, although the He family's invisible sword energy is famous, how can it compare to the Jade Void Golden Chapter personally passed down by Yuanshi, or the Supreme Dharma Body derived from the Seven Swords of Intercepting Heaven?

The two are separated by one or two dimensions, and the quality of the resulting Dharma forms differs by more than one level.

In the early stages, the limits of what can be achieved due to the limitations of one's realm are not yet apparent, but in the later stages, these weaknesses will be revealed one by one.

This is also the real reason why He Jiu, who was ranked first on the list, disappeared later on.

Not only was he far surpassed by Meng Qi, but even Jiang Zhiwei and Wang Siyuan were far superior to him.

In terms of talent, He Jiu is not much weaker than others.

Unfortunately, the technique was simply too inferior. How could the invisible sword energy, developed through the efforts of several generations, compare to the Great Dao scriptures personally passed down by the Celestial Venerable?

He Jiu in the original work is the best portrayal of an ordinary person who was not chosen by fate and was not used as a pawn by anyone.

His limit was only just reaching the legendary realm.

"Truly worthy of being called an old monster!"

He Jiu's hands trembled slightly as he felt immense pressure, as if the heavens and the earth were vast.

"But this is not my limit!"

He Jiu suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming. Two dark, eerie sword energies shot out from his eyes, merging with the sword energies emanating from his ears, nose, and mouth, transforming into an invisible giant sword.
At the same time, his ten fingers flew out continuously, unleashing invisible and formless sword energy that crisscrossed in the air, causing changes in the heavens and earth.

At the same time, he also exhaled a sword aura, which was powerful and surging, stirring up the remaining energy and white mist around him, as if transforming into a cloud of azure dragon.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

The sound of air being torn apart was incessant as countless unseen, invisible sword energies shot towards Qin Tian, ​​almost engulfing the heavens and earth.

He Jiu's performance impressed Qin Tian, ​​who said, "I'm going to draw my sword!"

Qin Tian raised his hand and broke off a peach branch. Then, a dazzling light flashed, like a sudden appearance in the azure sky, captivating the soul. The order and rules of heaven and earth underwent a completely new change under this sword.

"I couldn't ask for more!" He Jiu went mad. His clothes were torn, and sword energy shot out from all 364 acupoints on his body except for the ancestral acupoint between his eyebrows. It was overwhelming, earth-shattering, and could pierce through metal.

Faced with so many sword energies, Qin Tian changed his sword technique, causing the surrounding airflow to collapse and transform into chaotic singularities. The dense sword energies involuntarily fell onto that withered tree.

The profound meaning of nothingness is evolving, reversing all sword energy to its origin, reshaping it into energy, and finally transforming it into a wisp of life, bringing withered trees back to life. A peach blossom appears on a broken branch, seemingly formed by sword energy, like an invisible and formless flower, flowing with sword energy of extreme sharpness.

This is a sword technique that Qin Tian developed after seeing the Wusheng Finger, imitating its profound meaning. It contains the mystery of "nothingness" and can devour thousands of energies for its own use. It is a sword technique that becomes stronger the more it is fought.

"Alright, that's enough!" Qin Tian finally lost his patience.

He took a step forward and began to take the initiative.

Upon seeing this, He Jiu immediately became alert. Qin Tian, ​​who remained motionless, had almost driven him to the brink of despair. If he were to move, just how powerful would he be?

The next moment, He Jiu found out.

He arrived before him with a speed that He Jiu could hardly catch, and presented his long sword.

There were no fancy moves, just the most basic sword technique, the long thrust, which defeated He Jiu, the number one on the human ranking.

Looking at the delicate, vibrant peach blossoms before him, He Jiu exclaimed in a daze, "I've lost!"

After a long silence, He Jiu gritted his teeth and said, "Next year, on this day next year, we'll fight again."

"There's no need!" Qin Tian politely declined.

"Among those of the same realm, I am invincible!" Qin Tian's tone was very calm, but it seemed to be stating some kind of established rule, just like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, a tangible truth.

He Jiu felt the overwhelming confidence and unwavering belief that came over him. This was a belief that he could not comprehend and an invincible will that he could not reach.

If I had to use words to describe this belief...

Invincible Heart!
Only this one word can describe the will of this being!

"Ciao!" Qin Tian waved goodbye.

He Jiu, dressed in tattered clothes, was left lying on the ground, staring blankly at the sky, as if something inside him had shattered.

.........

July's heat lingers, and an autumn breeze arrives. The daytime heat still lingers, but the nights are much cooler.

As the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty, the city of Shendu is divided into five layers: the innermost is the palace city, followed by the imperial city, then the inner city, the outer city, and the houses built along the banks of the canal outside the city.

If viewed from above, they stand side by side, with each ward and market intertwined according to some inexplicable pattern, forming concentric circles that eventually converge at the imperial city.

The capital city remains peaceful today, but as the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty, this peace will not last long.

As dawn broke.

This ancient city, which had been asleep all night, began to bustle again.

The noise and bustle reached its peak when the Six Doors posted the list of successful candidates.

"The top spot on the leaderboard has changed!"

When everyone saw that the portrait posted in the first chapter was no longer the familiar He Jiu, they expressed their curiosity: "Is He Jiu no longer number one on the Human Ranking?"

"Has He Jiu finally chosen to take that step after refining the interior for so long?" someone speculated.

"It's much faster than I expected!"

"What? The Invisible Sword ascended to the heavens in one step?" Just then, someone arrived and overheard the people inside discussing the changes in the rankings.

He immediately became extremely anxious, as if he had fallen from the top of the list.

However, he couldn't squeeze to the front of the notice no matter what he tried, so he could only ask from behind the crowd.

He asked the person inside, "Brother, with whom does the Invisible Sword fight, and how does it ascend to heaven in one step?"

"Or has He Jiu ultimately given up on refining his inner vision and chosen to advance to the perfect half-step?!"

He Jiu has been ranked first on the Human Ranking for many years and could have already advanced to the Perfect Half-Step, but he has remained at the top of the Human Ranking for many years.

Everyone knew his purpose: to emulate Su Wuming of the past and attempt to ascend to the top in one step, directly entering the realm of the exterior.

"No, the Invisible Sword did not transcend the Human Ranking; instead, it fell to second place." Soon, the second chapter of the Human Ranking was posted, and upon seeing that familiar figure, someone spoke solemnly.

"Take a good look, everyone. In the battle record overview, the reincarnated saint has added another battle record!" Some guests who had seen the ranking list early on said calmly.

"The invisible sword battles the reincarnated saint in the wilderness!"

"The reincarnated saint did not retreat an inch and defeated the invisible sword He Jiu... This, this, this is too unbelievable!" The person reciting repeated as if in a dream, unable to believe what he was seeing.

The tavern was filled with gasps of shock, which only served to emphasize the stillness.

Moments later, the restaurant erupted as if a volcano had sprung up, becoming a hubbub of noise, with discussions and exclamations filling the air.

"This...this can't be possible!"

"really!"

"The Invisible Sword He Jiu, who has held the top spot on the Human Ranking for years, has been defeated just like that?!"

"Defeated by a seven-aperture cultivator?!" Some people found it hard to believe that a seven-aperture martial artist could defeat a peerless genius with nine acupoints opened. Such a record made people suspect that the Six Doors had taken bribes.

"Tch, what a fuss!" The customer sipping his wine muttered contentedly, completely forgetting his initial astonishment upon first hearing the news.

His condescending comments made it seem as if he had defeated He Jiu: "No matter how strong He Jiu is, he is only an enlightened being. How can he compare to a reincarnated saint?"

"How can we possibly defeat a true god who has returned from ancient times!"

Similar incidents were not limited to Kyoto; the cities across the continents that received the intelligence first were in an uproar, with some questioning the claims and others finding it hard to believe.

The entire Great Jin Dynasty was thrown into turmoil by this list of people.

With this achievement, people increasingly recognized Qin Tian's status as a reincarnated saint.

Because throughout history, no one has ever displayed such combat power, using a body with seven orifices to defeat someone who could easily kill the number one person on the half-step outer realm ranking.

(End of this chapter)