Chapter 1025: The Only Variable

Chapter 1026: Ten Years Hiding the Sword, and Listen to the Sword Chant

If Tian Kong Zhi Cheng falls like this, the low-level Lian Ling Shi in the Yun Lun Mountains won't stand a chance of survival.

Ba Zun An could see that clearly.

The core principle of Sheng Nu was to oppose restraints and suppression, not society or the continent as a whole, so he couldn't just let Tian Kong Zhi Cheng crash down unchecked.

Besides, the Yun Lun Mountains were home to the younger generation of Sheng Nu, as well as the group of geniuses from the external organization Tian Shang Di Yi Lou.

For both emotional and logical reasons, those people couldn't be allowed to die.

The rumbling grew increasingly deafening.

Looking up, they could now see the trailing end of this ancient fortress city engulfed in roaring flames.

According to the original plan, the task of holding up the city was Shui Gui's.

He had to keep supporting it until Ba Zun An's condition improved enough to issue a second command, making Tian Kong Zhi Cheng halt and hover in midair.

But that would waste too much time.

If Sheng Shen Hall reacted and fired a shot from Ai Cang Sheng, Shui Gui, who was committed to upholding the city, would be immobilized and forced to take the hit directly—he would surely die.

Though it was likely that Sheng Shen Hall wouldn't fire such a shot just to protect the Lian Ling Shi of the Yun Lun Mountains...

Still...

Ba Zun An pulled his gaze back from the horizon and looked at Xiu Yuan Ke, who still possessed a pure and innocent heart, realizing he had a better option right now.

"Do you want to save them?" Ba Zun An asked with a slight smile.

Xiu Yuan Ke was taken aback. "I do want to, but..."

He stared at the massive city hurtling down from the sky, knowing that stopping its momentum would require a force no less than a single sword strike that could demolish every building in Can Yue Xian Cheng.

"I'm afraid I can't do it..."

Xiu Yuan Ke swallowed hard, managing a bitter laugh. He wasn't that powerful.

Ba Zun An didn't dwell on whether Xiu Yuan Ke could pull it off. He simply glanced at Cen Qiao Fu and Shui Gui, signaling them to step back for now.

Once the two had retreated several dozen meters, Ba Zun An lifted his eyes to the enormous city now almost upon them, without turning his head, and said softly, "Gu Jian Xiu?"

"Ah?" Xiu Yuan Ke blinked, then realized his teacher was addressing him, and nodded quickly. "Yes, yes."

"What sword techniques do you mainly practice?" Ba Zun An's dim eyes reflected the flames of the giant city.

"I've dabbled in all nine major sword techniques..." Xiu Yuan Ke replied, his eyes suddenly lighting up with excitement. "Teacher, what are you getting at?"

"Do you know Huan Jian Shu?" Ba Zun An asked in return, still calm.

"Yes!" Xiu Yuan Ke nodded vigorously.

"How far have you mastered it?"

"The first realm: Space-Time Leap!"

"How long have you been studying the sword?"

"Thirty-four years!" Xiu Yuan Ke answered without hesitation. "Teacher, I switched to Gu Jian Xiu midway, just like most people in Can Yue Xian Cheng. We were all influenced by you... I've never believed you would truly fall!"

"Thirty-four years... the first realm... switched midway..."

Ba Zun An murmured to himself, then his lips curved into a smile. "That's quite impressive."

Xiu Yuan Ke's face flushed red, and he scratched his head. "I'm nowhere near your level, Teacher."

Ba Zun An shook his head slightly.

How could they even be compared?

He paused, then finally turned back, his gaze settling on Xiu Yuan Ke as he sized him up and down with a smile. "I can't teach you Jian Nian in such a short time. If fate allows, you might learn it later, but for now..."

His eyes sharpened, landing on the peach wood sword case on Xiu Yuan Ke's back.

"I have one sword I can pass on to you.

"However, with your current realm, learning this sword will either kill you or leave you gravely injured.

"So... are you willing to learn it?"

Xiu Yuan Ke froze, momentarily unable to process it.

Soon, his eyes widened, and his body began to tremble with overwhelming excitement. He hadn't even heard the part about "death or injury"—all he registered was one thought...

Teacher is going to teach me a sword technique?

With a loud thud, Xiu Yuan Ke dropped to his knees, smashing a crater into the ground. Blood flowed from his knees, but he didn't notice, his eyes filled only with devout reverence.

"To hear the Dao at dawn is to die content at dusk!"

Behind him, Cen Qiao Fu and Shui Gui watched the scene unfold, then glanced up at the massive city in the sky, seeming to understand what was about to happen.

"What a rare sight!" Cen Qiao Fu shook his head with a sigh. "Thirty years ago, with his proud nature, he probably wouldn't have spared a glance for someone like Xiu Yuan Ke."

"But times have changed, haven't they..." Shui Gui murmured.

In a daze, Shui Gui's mind flashed back to the second time he met Ba Zun An, when the latter had invited him to join Sheng Nu again.

Back then, the once-great prodigy had been reduced to wielding a sword with only eight fingers on one hand.

Forget drawing a sword—he could barely hold one.

Shui Gui had laughed mockingly at the invitation: "You can't even hold a sword anymore, and you're inviting me to join Sheng Nu? Is this a joke?"

Yet, even with scars on his neck, a broken body, and eyes that had lost their former sharpness, Ba Zun An's will had remained unshaken.

"A broken body is nothing; abandoning the sword is another matter? All sword cultivators in the world are under my command! How can one be without a sword, or without the Dao?"

That serene response had startled Shui Gui, making him realize that the man who once tried to take on the world alone was gone.

After his injuries, he had changed.

He had learned to use momentum, leveraging the immense influence carried by the title "Eighth Jian Xian," which he had forged in just three years...

Using people as swords, biding his time, and rising again to the clouds!

A man like Ba Zun An, with just one person and one sword, could instill endless fear in the world.

Now that he knew how to use momentum, who in the world could stand against him?

Shui Gui couldn't refuse the invitation anymore.

Because at that time, he too yearned for answers, and Ba Zun An in that state was the only one who could surpass him and provide them.

The vision faded, and Shui Gui's thoughts returned to Gu Yin Cliff.

In the background, the ancient fortress city plunged down like a flaming meteor.

On the dimly lit cliff above, a one-armed, lame elder knelt in reverence. Before him, Ba Zun An extended his hand calmly and crooked a finger.

"Sword, come."

With a sharp crack, the peach wood sword case on Xiu Yuan Ke's back burst open. A wide, long peach wood sword flew out with a clang, tracing a bright arc through the sky before landing in Ba Zun An's hand.

Shui Gui watched, taking a deep breath.

Earlier, he had thought it was madness for Ba Zun An to use Xiu Yuan Ke to stop the city instead of him, but unable to defy the order, he had retreated.

Now, he felt at ease.

What was there not to trust about this man?

On the cliff, Ba Zun An gently held the peach wood sword in his left hand and extended his right hand, fingers together, slowly sliding them along the blade.

Wherever his gaze fell, the peach wood sword revealed inch by inch of white, sharp edge.

A low hum resonated—

Though it wasn't his own sword, Xiu Yuan Ke could feel the joy of the blade, and clearly see the Jian Nian emerging on it where his teacher's fingers passed...

This was Jian Nian!

Just from that touch, Xiu Yuan Ke even sensed that his own sword had switched its allegiance to his teacher!

As long as his teacher willed it, the sword could shatter at any moment.

Incredible!

The roaring flames behind them lit up the darkness, casting a glow on the figures on the cliff, with the thunderous noise unending, like the end of days.

"What is the sword's name?" Ba Zun An asked calmly.

Xiu Yuan Ke looked up, his eyes passing over his teacher to the ancient city now within arm's reach, his heart pounding with anxiety, wondering how his teacher could remain so composed.

"Xian Tao," he replied shakily.

"The wood sword Xian Tao...

"A very fitting name."

Ba Zun An suddenly curled his left fingers around Xian Tao.

In that instant, white light surged along the sword, and a clear sword cry echoed through the heavens.

A hum filled the air—

Xiu Yuan Ke's skin prickled all over, feeling the surrounding space and time slow with the sword's resonance.

Sensing the surging power within the wood sword that mirrored his own, Ba Zun An said with mild surprise, "You've been hiding your sword?"

"Yes!" Xiu Yuan Ke answered nervously. "I've hidden my sword for thirteen years, four months, and twenty-six days, Teacher..."

A faint smile tugged at Ba Zun An's lips.

In that case, Xiu Yuan Ke might just survive after one sword strike.

"Close your eyes."

The gentle voice came, and Xiu Yuan Ke obeyed, though he didn't understand why.

"Extend your hand."

He reached out, feeling a weight in his palm—the power of Xian Tao.

The rumbling grew louder—

With his eyes shut, the noise in his ears became even more piercing.

Xiu Yuan Ke tensed up, a mix of excitement at receiving his teacher's sword technique and fear of his own inadequacy.

This was a moment even his senior brother would envy.

"Relax, don't let your mind wander."

Xiu Yuan Ke immediately eased up.

"Meditate."

He focused intently, and suddenly, the clamor around him seemed to fade a bit.

"Next, I'll transmit my insights on the sword Dao to you. How much you grasp depends on your comprehension." Ba Zun An's voice remained steady as he extended a finger.

Xiu Yuan Ke trembled with excitement.

"Relax."

The voice came again.

In that moment, Xiu Yuan Ke let go of everything, following his teacher's guidance completely.

At some point, he felt a warmth at his brow—that must be the power from his teacher's finger.

A hum echoed—

In the next second, Xiu Yuan Ke's soul quivered, and the world fell silent.

From behind, as Cen Qiao Fu and Shui Gui watched, Ba Zun An's finger touched Xiu Yuan Ke's brow, unleashing a dense wave of time and space energy.

Visible ripples spread into the void, merging with the heavenly Dao.

Then...

The world stopped!

"This...?" Shui Gui's eyes flashed with shock.

How long had it been since he'd seen Ba Zun An act personally?

Yet, even in his sealed sword state, just transmitting a technique like this could influence time and space?

Straining to look around, Shui Gui saw that the flowers, grass, and trees no longer swayed; the wind and animal cries had ceased; even the flames at the tail of the descending Tian Kong Zhi Cheng had stopped flickering...

"Is this really the Houtian realm?"

"Is this what they call a weakened state?"

Shui Gui stared in disbelief.

Even a glimpse of Ba Zun An's power in this frail state terrified him, a master of water-based principles.

If the seal were truly lifted...

What kind of magnificent sword strike could Ba Zun An unleash?

Like Shui Gui and Cen Qiao Fu, Xiu Yuan Ke was stunned.

In his mind, the world had vanished, leaving only himself and his teacher.

"There's wind..."

The ethereal voice reached him.

In the world of Huan Jian Shu, Xiu Yuan Ke felt a wind rising around him, howling.

"There's someone..."

Fully immersed in this second world his teacher had created, Xiu Yuan Ke heard the faint rustling of the human world with those words.

"There's a building..."

In the chaotic mental realm, as the voice spoke, heaven and earth separated clearly.

Amid the vast mist, a towering building emerged, made of green bricks and porcelain, with flying eaves and tiled roofs. Its floors stretched endlessly, surrounded by immortal clouds and the cries of cranes.

"Teacher!"

Xiu Yuan Ke gazed in reverence and spotted a figure standing alone at the tower's peak, features unseen, dancing with a sword amid the smoke and crane calls...

Hums filled the air—

"Huan Jian Shu, Mo Jian Shu, Gui Jian Shu, Qing Jian Shu..."

Xiu Yuan Ke was stunned.

These were the secrets of the major sword techniques he had struggled with for decades!

Like a parched sponge, he dove in, eager to absorb it all.

But suddenly, he recalled his teacher's words.

"Huan Jian Shu, do you know it?"

—Greed can choke you.

Xiu Yuan Ke reined in his thoughts, resisting the temptation and focusing only on Huan Jian Shu as his teacher intended.

Space-Time Leap, one thought for eternity.

Xiu Yuan Ke lost track of time and space.

After what felt like an eternity, he sensed he had finally grasped the name of the sword his teacher wanted to pass on.

He stood abruptly.

Holding Xian Tao, Xiu Yuan Ke opened his eyes and looked at the chaotic world before him.

"It's not just one sword!

"Teacher is passing on all of this!

"The ultimate essence of Huan Jian Shu... the second world!"

With a sharp ring—

The piercing sword cry shattered the world around him.

Xiu Yuan Ke awoke from the chaos and immediately felt an endless sword intent surging from within him, soaring into the sky.

Booms echoed—

Like a being in evolution, his aura alone blasted the Gu Yin Cliff with flying rocks.

In his ears, the excited sword hums spread across the entire Yun Lun Mountains, coming from Xian Tao...

Before him, the ancient fortress city hung frozen in the void, thanks to his own power...

"I..."

Xiu Yuan Ke was at a loss.

Had he truly mastered the power of a peak Gu Jian Xiu?

This was beyond anything he had ever imagined, let alone dared to dream.

But now...

It had become reality!

In his daze, Xiu Yuan Ke's gaze swept unconsciously toward Cen Qiao Fu and Shui Gui, who were watching his transformation.

With a boom, the sword intent in his eyes surged like a tide, cracking the cliff and forcing the two even farther back.

"I..."

Xiu Yuan Ke was stunned again.

Could he do that with just a glance?

Seeing the shock in Cen Qiao Fu and Shui Gui's eyes at his change, he found it even harder to believe that this power had come from a single moment of closed eyes.

A soft pat landed on his shoulder.

Xiu Yuan Ke turned to see his teacher's face, full of exhaustion yet encouragement and approval.

Ba Zun An hadn't expected Xiu Yuan Ke, with his grasp of only the first realm of Huan Jian Shu, to absorb so much of his heritage and comprehend the second realm to such an extent.

Smiling, Ba Zun An pointed upward.

To the Tian Kong Zhi Cheng, which had stopped due to Xiu Yuan Ke's power!

"Thirteen years of hiding your sword, now listen to its hum...

"Go! This moment is yours!"

With those words, Xiu Yuan Ke felt a wild energy surging within him, more stimulating than any pill, more invigorating than any forbidden technique.

"Thirteen years of hiding your sword, now listen to its hum..."

Xiu Yuan Ke repeated the phrase, feeling that only his teacher truly understood him.

He looked up.

Through the hazy blood-red haze, Xiu Yuan Ke thought it was the reflection of the ancient city's flames, unaware that blood was flowing from his own seven orifices.

No longer hesitating, he raised his hand and struck with the sword.

"Ai—!!!"

Brilliant sword light erupted, vast enough to fill the sky, even overshadowing Tian Kong Zhi Cheng.

As all the trial participants in the Yun Lun Mountains watched in fear and unease, the sword light engulfed everything, cutting through the dark apocalypse to reveal a new, dazzling brilliance.

"What a beautiful sword strike!"

Xiu Yuan Ke stared wide-eyed, in disbelief at what he had created.

The second world!

This was the "second world" he had always dreamed of!

In that sword strike, he saw the figure dancing at the sword tower's peak—not his teacher, not a sword god, but himself.

He, Xiu Yuan Ke!

He had unleashed such a stunning sword strike!

This was his dream...

The second world!

With a crack—

Xian Tao shattered after the strike.

With a thud—