Lord of the Celestial Throne

Goddess Wushuang, standing silently in the distance, withdrew her sea of consciousness and let out a soft sigh. She quietly returned to her place in the corner, clearly showing no intention of attempting again.

Her unexpected withdrawal confused many, but also stirred their eagerness to give a shot. 

"Greetings, Lady Wushuang," someone stepped forward respectfully, there was even a trace of admiration. "We all saw how close you were to acquiring the saber, yet you chose to give up halfway. May I be so bold as to ask why?" 

His question attracted hundreds of curious gazes. 

Wushuang seemed pensive for a moment before replying with an expressionless face, "This saber isn't simple. It's best to be cautious."

Some were waiting for her to elaborate but she remained silent as cicada in winter.

"I'll give it a try," a young man stepped forward confidently.

Moments later, blood rained from the sky. His corpse was almost unrecognizable. 

"Noo…" A mournful cry was heard with the mans death. His companions turned pale and sad.

Goddess Wushuang shook her head in disappointment and turned to leave. But from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure that made her pause.

"Bao Zhentian…? What is that freak doing here?" she murmured, her curiosity piqued.

Bao Zhentian leaned toward Li Shenrong and whispered, "Brother Li, should I give it a try?"

"Why not?" Li Shenrong replied with a faint smile. "If you can seize this fortune, it's yours."

Beside them, Luo Shenghua appeared uneasy, anxiety etched across her face. She was clearly worried. She was afraid this guy would be killed by the terrifying saber intent. 

"Be careful." She warned softly.

Bao Zhentian laughed heartily and strode forward. 

The crowd didn't recognise him and dismissed as another opportunist seeking death. 

Approaching the statue, Bao Zhentian swept his sleeves aside and drew his sword. The moment the blade left its sheath, his aura surged violently, piercing through the clouds. With a metallic clang, his sword intent erupted with dazzling, vicious, and oppressive light. It was so violent and murderous that people felt their skin being pricked by thousands of needles. 

Some instinctively closed their eyes, others raised protective barriers. Even ancestor level experts looked uneasy under the pressure.

"What terrifying sword Dao! Who is he?" someone gasped, shocked.

"I don't know, never seen him before." 

"He is definitely not from the eastern territory, probably middle territory." 

A powerful sect master from the Middle Territory frowned. "No… I don't recognize him either. But I'm sure he's not from the Middle Territory."

At first, Bao Zhentian released only Heaven Congregation Realm cultivation. But to everyone's astonishment, his aura kept rising from Heavenly King to Saint, then Dao Sovereign, and finally stopped at the Late-stage Demi-God Realm. His late stage demi-god aura caused visual phenomena appearing in the sky. 

People were appalled! To possess such terrifying cultivation at his age, he was a peerless genius worthy of shaking the heavens. Goddess Wushuang was one thing, then suddenly another monstrous youth emerged. The crowd didn't know whether to be excited or terrified.

Bao Zhentian's sword intent stirred a response from the saber. It trembled faintly, releasing a sharp saber intent that soared into the heavens.

A deafening clang resounded as both intents collided in mid air. Sparks exploded and furious gales swept across the area. Clearly, the saber intent this time was even stronger than what Goddess Wushuang had provoked.

To everyone's shock, Bao Zhentian's sword intent gradually neutralized the saber intent.

Luo Shenghua let out a cheer, visibly excited.

But before the joy could spread, another surge of saber intent erupted, far more powerful than before. People felt their skin being cut by a sharp knife. 

"Don't look directly!" experienced cultivators warned.

Those who failed to heed the warning screamed in agony and their eyes ruptured from the sheer intensity.

"Ahhh" Many screamed miserably in pain. 

"So powerful!" Goddess Wushuang's pupils shrank as she looked at the saber intent with fear. 

Bao Zhentian roared and charged forward, sword raised high. 

His sword shone with a dazzling brilliance, enveloping the sky and earth. The two forces collided again, unleashing a violent storm that devastated a thousand mile radius. Spectators had already retreated far away, wary of being caught in the shockwaves.

Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that this time Bao Zhentian was struggling. 

His sleeves were shredded, and thick veins bulged across his arms. He fought with all his might, and after a long clash, finally managed to suppress the second saber intent.

Breathing heavily, he stared solemnly at the saber.

"The first one was manageable," he muttered, "but the second… it nearly reached the threshold of a True God. I don't know how many more layers of saber intent remain…" Understanding the risks and weighing the unknown, Bao Zhentian wisely chose to give up. It was obviously full of uncertainty and danger. He doesn't want to lose his life for a treasure. 

Even those who had been eager to try before now looked hesitant. If even a late stage demi god failed, what chance did they have?

"Brother Li, haha." Bao Zhentian walked toward Li Shenrong with a wry smile while scratching the back of his head. 

Li Shenrong smiled. "No need to feel embarrassed. That saber once belonged to a Supreme Emperor. The saber intent left behind is not something a demi god can overcome. Even though you didn't claim it, the benefits you received aren't small."

Bao Zhentian nodded, satisfied. "Indeed. That second saber intent gave me insight into the deeper mysteries of the Sword Dao."

Luo Shenghua chimed in "little junior brother, i didn't know you were a demi-god. You hid pretty well. In the future, can i hug your thigh?" She said laughing, her expression was that of a greedy merchant who had found a rare piece of jewellery. 

"Ahem…sister, your expression is a bit weird…" Bao zhentian felt his skin crawling under Luo Shenghua's wanton gaze. 

Watching the two banter, Li Shenrong chuckled.

Because of Bao Zhentian he had already attracted curious gaze of many cultivators. 

Some thought he was just a servant of Bao Zhentain because his cultivation was only at physic foundation realm.