Chapter Sixteen: Sword Twenty-Three

By the time everyone entered the Tri-Partite Hall, Xiongba was already seated upon his exclusive throne.

Qin Shuang led the others to their seats in succession. Xiongba sat with his eyes closed, gathering his energy, remaining as steady as a mountain. The guests were all renowned masters of the martial arts world; aware that Xiongba was preparing for a life-or-death duel, they remained silent, waiting for the arrival of the other protagonist.

While Xiongba waited for the Sword Saint, the Sword Saint himself was nearly at the end of his tether.

Yet, the closer his body drew to death, the more vibrant his spirit became, and the more brilliant his sword intent grew. Perhaps the "Sword Twenty-Three" was inherently a technique designed to annihilate heaven and earth; the nearer one approached death, the closer one aligned with the true essence of the move. The sword qi and the intent behind techniques he had previously failed to grasp now flooded his consciousness.

In the mind of the Sword Saint, there was only a single thought:
"I cannot fall. I must not fall!"
"I must create Sword Twenty-Three! I must create it!"

The Sword Saint’s physical form was withered, his gait faltering. His body should have collapsed long ago, but his indomitable will drove him forward toward the World Martial Arts Association to fulfill his confrontation with Xiongba.

As a carriage passed by, a strand of sword intent silently detached from the Sword Saint’s body and drifted into the womb of a pregnant woman inside the vehicle.

***

It was now midday, and the Sword Saint had yet to arrive. Whispers broke out within the Tri-Partite Hall. Even Duan Lang and his companions were exchanging worried glances, unable to fathom the situation. One could even see cold sweat on their foreheads; if the Sword Saint did not appear, they would certainly never make it out of the World Martial Arts Association alive.

"Master, shall we announce that the Sword Saint has failed to arrive within the stipulated time and has forfeited the match? The victory is yours!" Qin Shuang’s expression was peculiar, yet he remained calm and unhurried, as if everything were within his grasp.

Xiongba kept his eyes tightly shut, sitting motionless: "Maintain your composure! This is a ploy by the Sword Saint to unsettle my mind. We shall wait!"

The hall fell silent once more, though this only served to highlight the depth of Xiongba’s apprehension toward the Sword Saint.

***

When the Sword Saint, stumbling, reached the foot of Heaven Mountain, he had pushed himself to the absolute limit. Beams of wandering sword light radiated from his body—each one magnificently beautiful, yet pregnant with extreme danger. These lights clung to his form, growing purer with every step he took.

As he stepped onto the stone stairs leading to the main gate, the world seemed to spin before him, and his body nearly collapsed. At the same time, the sky grew increasingly gloomy. Dark, heavy clouds gathered, and the winds shifted, casting an ominous shadow over the land. It was as if the heavens themselves were weeping for the sword technique about to be born, or perhaps mourning the imminent fall of a peerless swordsman.

The world had dimmed to its darkest, but in the heart of the Sword Saint, a glimmer of dawn had emerged.

"Boom—"

The Sword Saint stood firm. Crimson sword light erupted from his feet, tracing the stairs upward. Wherever it passed, the stone steps shattered, emitting a continuous, sharp cracking sound. A deep sword scar carved its way from his feet to the top of the stairs, leading directly into the Tri-Partite Drill Ground.

When the final step was severed by the blade mark, the Sword Saint appeared on the drill ground.

Only a moment ago, he had been a withered husk, but now he stood with vibrant grace and soaring spirit. A brilliant shaft of light pierced through the suffocating clouds, illuminating him and casting him in the image of a celestial deity.

"Xiongba, I have kept you waiting."

As the Sword Saint’s voice faded, Xiongba within the hall slowly opened his eyes, arcs of electricity crackling within them.

"You have finally come!"

The others in the hall echoed in their hearts: *He has finally arrived!*

Sword qi surged automatically from the Sword Saint. The scar on the ground reappeared, tearing through the drill ground as he moved like a sharp blade straight into the Tri-Partite Hall. He hovered three feet above the ground, gliding forward. His very aura transformed into swords; any member of the World Martial Arts Association who came near was shredded by invisible blades before they could even reach him.

He walked with light steps, treading a path of blood across the drill ground and into the hall.

Upon seeing the Sword Saint for the first time, everyone sensed something unnatural about him. His figure appeared both present and absent, as if he were an illusion. Though all those present were masters of the martial arts world, none had ever witnessed such a phenomenon.

Before anyone could voice their confusion, the Sword Saint spoke: "Xiongba, I have kept you waiting. Let us begin!"

The Sword Saint’s cultivation had reached its zenith in a mere heartbeat. This ethereal, unreal figure was clearly a Martial Dao Primordial Spirit. His physical body had been drained of its last drop of vitality, but his soul had ascended, descending upon this place as a Sword Dao Primordial Spirit.

As he finished speaking, a crystalline brilliance emanated from his body, expanding to fill the entire hall. Within the reach of this light, everything froze. Those who harbored loyalty to the World Martial Arts Association and had attempted to draw their blades to assist were frozen in mid-motion, their weapons half-unsheathed. Others who had leaped into the air were locked in place. In an instant, everything touched by the light became like a scene preserved in amber.

No one in the hall could move an inch, including Qin Shuang and Xiongba, who had risen to their feet.

Wherever the Sword Saint passed, sword qi manifested spontaneously. All who harbored malice toward him were struck by a blade of energy that sealed their throats. The entire scene became like a two-dimensional painting; though their bodies were paralyzed and their voices silenced, their minds remained frantically active. Yet, they could only watch helplessly as the Sword Saint’s qi harvested lives one by one.

The power of this strike surpassed all imagination. At the very least, Qin Shuang had never seen such a terrifying move; he even doubted whether the ancient dragons of the Dragon Palace could unleash such devastation.

Qin Shuang channeled his innate draconic primordial spirit, protected by his spirit pearl, to perceive this world-ending technique. He could clearly sense Xiongba breaking into a cold sweat, desperately channeling his "Tri-Partite Origin Return" energy. Yet, Xiongba could not even complete a turn; he could only tilt his body slightly, adopting a defensive posture.

Such a simple movement had exhausted all of Xiongba’s strength. Qin Shuang strained to channel his own spirit, bolstering it with the power of the pearl, desperate to imprint the image of the Sword Saint’s "Sword Twenty-Three" into his memory.

Qin Shuang’s actions were subtly detected by the Sword Saint. As he lunged toward Xiongba, a strand of his primordial sword intent struck out at Qin Shuang. Simultaneously, the Sword Saint’s finger struck Xiongba’s chest, and a torrential surge of sword qi erupted.

"Ugh—"

Xiongba let out a muffled groan of pain as he channeled his energy to mitigate the damage.

On the other side, Bu Jingyun, who had been hiding outside the hall waiting for the outcome, saw the one-sided slaughter and grew deeply concerned. (Bu Jingyun had not yet seen the Sword Saint on the stairs earlier.) Unwilling to let the Sword Saint kill Xiongba, he leaped from the roof:

"Cloud-Rending Palm!"

Bu Jingyun, focusing all his power, intended to force a retreat, but his only reward was a single glance from the Sword Saint, after which he was frozen in mid-air.

The Sword Saint’s heart stirred, and a strand of sword qi followed his will.

Outside the World Martial Arts Association, Jian Chen, having come on behalf of Nameless, arrived just in time to catch sight of the Sword Saint upon the stairs.