Chapter Thirty-Four: The Awaited News

"Look closely, who is it that is about to fall?"

Jue Wushen grew more and more excited as the battle raged. The more Qin Shuang cherished his own life and refused to engage in a desperate, brawling slugfest, the greater Jue Wushen's chances of winning became. Little did he know that Qin Shuang had been waiting for news—news of the deaths of Nameless and the Supreme. Unfortunately, both Nameless and the Supreme were protected by their own destinies and had managed to escape.

"You think that hiding inside a turtle shell makes you invincible? Jue Wushen, you are too naive!"

As Qin Shuang parried Jue Wushen's wild, unrefined strikes, he continued to refine and integrate his own martial arts. If the Dog King and Wu Dao failed to kill the Supreme or Nameless, then Jue Wushen would be kept alive for the time being. Qin Shuang planned to take Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng to seek out Nameless to learn the way of the sword, and to find the First Evil Emperor to master the art of falling into the demonic path. If the Supreme died, it mattered little whether Nameless lived or not; the Supreme was the primary target. If Nameless survived, he could conveniently deal with Xiongba, saving Qin Shuang the effort and the potential damage to his reputation. Eventually, Qin Shuang would seize the momentum, ascend to the throne of the Supreme, and usher in an era where everyone practiced martial arts. He believed that the martial resources harvested from an entire world—a world that was by no means weak—would propel him to an unimaginable realm.

After all, his techniques—punches, palms, fingers, claws, and kicks—were all exquisitely profound. Yet, even the most brilliant move is helpless when an opponent refuses to defend; how then could the true profundity of such techniques be displayed?

"Where did this rebellious disciple learn such exquisite moves?"

The Ten Great Martial Arts were useless against Jue Wushen, but watching them filled Xiongba with trepidation. He was fortunate to have witnessed Qin Shuang display them now; had he encountered them for the first time during a direct confrontation, he would surely have been caught in a miserable position. It was not that the Frost Fist, Cloud-Palm, or Wind-God Leg lacked sophistication—their brilliance lay in their synergy with internal energy and movement techniques. The Ten Great Martial Arts, however, could be integrated with any attribute of internal energy. While the "Threefold Origin Energy"—the fusion of Xiongba's three unique arts—lacked such inherent versatility, it could also be channeled through any technique. In particular, the Ten Great Martial Arts possessed a compatibility with the Threefold Origin Energy of at least ninety to ninety-five percent, nearly matching the original Xuanwu True Skill.

As Xiongba greedily absorbed the essence of these arts, the tides of the battle finally shifted.

"Wind Sweeps the Ruined Pavilion!"

Juedi, true to his name, had reached a dead end. With his guard wide open, he had no time to react before he took the full force of Nie Feng's strike. Beneath a blur of kicks, Juedi was sent flying like a piece of tattered leather. He tumbled twice across the ground and then fell silent forever.

Nie Feng scanned the battlefield. He first looked to the main engagement: Qin Shuang and Jue Wushen. Though Qin Shuang was on the defensive, it was merely the result of Jue Wushen's all-out offensive style. Qin Shuang was far from defeat. Nie Feng then turned his attention to the battle between Pojun and Bu Jingyun, as Qin Shuang had instructed. Having grown accustomed to Bu Jingyun’s exquisite Ten Great Martial Arts, Pojun had begun to anticipate them and set traps, leaving Bu Jingyun in a precarious position. The other two skirmishes, while currently at a disadvantage, were not yet in immediate danger.

Nie Feng immediately moved to support Bu Jingyun. "Senior Brother Yun, I am here! Gale and Torrent!"

Nie Feng’s timely shout drew Pojun’s attention, finally granting Bu Jingyun a moment to breathe.

"Hmph!" Pojun let out a cold snort, forcing Bu Jingyun back before turning his full focus to neutralizing Nie Feng’s Wind-God Leg. Beneath the flurry of kicks, Pojun blocked, parried, dodged, and evaded, perfectly countering Nie Feng’s assault.

Pojun glanced at the lifeless body of Juedi, then looked back at Nie Feng. "Nie Feng! You are but two youngsters—what do I have to fear, even if you attack together?"

Pojun drew his Seven-Kill and Greedy Wolf blades, meeting the Snow-Drinking Mad Blade and the Peerless Sword. The blades were cold, the swords sharp, and the three became locked in a fierce melee. The blade techniques were grand and heavy, while the swordplay was piercingly sharp, each strike aimed at a vital point. The brilliance of their weapons momentarily overshadowed the main battle between Qin Shuang and Jue Wushen.

"When did these two rebellious disciples develop such profound internal energy and learn such exquisite moves?"

Xiongba, too, was drawn to their battle, his face turning grim. The prophecy of the dragon and the wind-cloud was the thorn in his heart. Seeing the current strength of Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng, he felt a sharp pang of pain. "If these three disciples had only been completely loyal to me, Xiongba, what great cause would I not have achieved?" He clenched his fists, his mind a complex storm of hatred and a strange, prideful realization that these men were, after all, his own chosen and trained pupils.

At this moment, Xiongba’s hatred for them was less intense than it had been in the past; there was no tragedy of murdered children or stolen lovers to drive him to pure, unadulterated vengeance. He even felt a flicker of regret for having consulted the Mud Buddha in the first place. If not for that prophecy, Qin Shuang, Bu Jingyun, and Nie Feng would still be his loyal disciples.

Elsewhere, Jue Xin maintained his suppression of Duan Lang. In terms of pure strength, Jue Xin was slightly inferior to the current Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng, but far superior to Duan Lang. Jue Xin was watching the situation closely, adjusting his stance accordingly. If Jue Wushen won, he would remain a hidden tool; if Jue Wushen fell, Jue Xin would need to slip away early and find a new master.

Everyone present—and those not present—was waiting. Xiongba waited for the outcome between Qin Shuang and Jue Wushen so he could reap the rewards. Qin Shuang waited for news of the Supreme’s death. And Jue Wushen? He was perhaps waiting for his own victory, or his inevitable demise.

In the distance, Wu Dao seemed to hear Qin Shuang’s anticipation and finally arrived at the Dog King’s location. The Blade God was already covered in blood from the pack of dogs, teetering on the brink of collapse yet stubbornly holding his ground. Many dogs already lay dead, and the Dog King was beside himself with fury. Nameless, hindered by the state of his own body, had not yet arrived.

"Where is the Supreme?" Wu Dao asked, looking at the frenzied Dog King. There was no need to assist the Dog King; had the man not been so intent on torturing the Blade God, the Blade God would have already fallen. The crazed Dog King was lost in his madness, and had he not faintly remembered Wu Dao, he might have attacked him as well. The Dog King shook his head as if to clear the chaos, focusing his mind long enough to recall Wu Dao. "The Supreme went that way! Go and kill him!"

Wu Dao glanced at the Dog King, knowing he would not leave until the Blade God was dead, and took off in pursuit of the Supreme. Shortly after Wu Dao departed, Nameless finally arrived, his movements hampered by the effects of the toxins. Seeing the two fighting and the fallen dogs, he deduced the Dog King’s identity and struck with a single sword-finger, causing the Dog King to collapse instantly.

"Quickly, save the Supreme!" the Blade God gasped before he fell.