Strength

The nights of Di'an City were bustling. On sleepless streets like Longping River, Jiuqu Lane, and Meigui Ward, the lively glow of lamplight reached straight into the clouds each night. Yet, when all was said and done, this prosperity served only a tiny fraction of the city's inhabitants. For the vast majority of the common folk, such splendor had nothing to do with them; they still lived like countryside farmers, rising at dawn to work and resting at sunset. When white light illuminated the horizon and brightened their window lattices, the drowsy citizens merely assumed the sun was rising for a new day. Enduring their fatigue, they climbed out of bed, got dressed, and prepared to begin another day of toil. Yet when they pushed open their doors and saw the spectacle in the night sky, rustling cries of shock and anger broke out in every corner of Di'an City. Outside, the night still reigned, but beneath that darkness lay a scene none of them had ever witnessed in their lives. Even on a snowy night, thunder could roar. Even snowflakes could burn. Rumbling thunder echoed down from above the clouds. Beneath them, gale-force winds fell like torrents, and the drifting snow churned like a sea. High in the heavens, a single spell had formed an ocean of fire, illuminating the entirety of Di'an City as if it were broad daylight. From the moment that brilliance first flared across the horizon, it drew the gaze of nearly everyone in Di'an City. Most were ordinary folk newly shaken from their slumber, but among them were also numerous cultivators. Yet looking upon the anomaly beneath the vault of heaven, those cultivators were scarcely better off than the commoners. They could only vaguely sense through the surrounding Source Qi that the qi dynamics across Di'an City were surging violently, suggesting supreme experts were locked in combat above. After a brief silence, clamor and turmoil began to spread through Di'an City. Yet before the chaos could truly erupt, it was snuffed out by streaks of red light trailing across the sky. "Curfew is in effect tonight! Anyone leaving their gates without permission shall be executed!" "Anyone lingering in the streets after one quarter of an hour shall be executed!" "Anyone attempting to stir up chaos or commit robbery shall be executed!" Through communication crystals, the drill grounds of the Exotic Beast Bureau under the City Defense Bureau had already mobilized. Red feiyang swept swiftly across the sky, their booming voices ringing through the lower airspace of Di'an. As the birds swept overhead, the gates of barracks across Di'an swung open. To the thunderous clatter of hooves, armored cavalrymen on duty poured out in succession, conducting a second sweep along the streets. Bugles sounded. Officers on duty took their stations. Off-duty soldiers were roused from sleep to assemble urgently. In the face of crisis, Di'an City's machinery of state violence began operating in an orderly, methodical fashion. This was Di'an City. This was the safest imperial capital of the vast Great Yan! Taking in everything below, the Emperor of Sien subtly narrowed His eyes beneath His robe. He had read the letters sent back to the empire's homeland by the crown prince from that tiny island country, and He knew that beside that island nation lay a colossal empire known as the Great Yan. Yet in those letters, information regarding the Great Yan Dynasty was sparse, largely drawn from the oral accounts of captured island soldiers. And summarizing the descriptions of Great Yan from those captives yielded only four words: *Like unto gods.* Even after a century of raids, those islanders remained ignorant of the true depth of the Great Yan Dynasty's national power. No matter how smoothly their amphibious landings went, whenever they attempted to establish a permanent foothold on a coastal corner of the Great Yan Dynasty, an invincible army would appear and effortlessly drive them back into the sea. He had once assumed this was an exaggeration, inflated claims concocted by those islanders to paralyze Sien's judgment. But seeing it tonight, it seemed no falsehood. It was not merely because of these rank-and-file soldiers, nor the incantation patterns across the sky so vast that one could not see their ends with a single glance, but even more so because of the terrifying auras lurking in the shadows. Ever since He revealed Himself, four terrifying auras within the Yan imperial capital had cast their prying gazes upon Him. And those were only the ones on the surface. Those hiding in the dark without revealing their presence likely numbered at least five more. With lowered eyelids, the Emperor of Sien let these thoughts flicker across His mind in a fraction of an instant. Yet in that single moment of distraction, a cyan-gleaming blade arrived before Him. The edge of the sword was as pale as snow. Traversing the sea of fire that filled the sky, it seemed to merge seamlessly with the drifting flakes all around. The Emperor of Sien frowned slightly and leaned back by instinct. Yet with a simple upward flick of Qingyuan, Feng Jiuxuan left Him with nowhere to dodge. A delicate thread of sword qi brought forth by the blade pierced through the radiance surrounding the Emperor of Sien and grazed His cheek, flicking off His cowl. Golden hair cascaded instantly in the wind, exposing His angular, godlike features beneath. Feng Jiuxuan did not press his advantage. Holding his sword, he looked at this emperor from a foreign realm, the light in his narrow eyes piercingly cold. "The second time." This was the second time the foreign emperor had been distracted during their battle, and the second time Feng Jiuxuan had stayed his hand. The Emperor of Sien glanced at the white-clad Yan man who had pulled back his blade. In silence, He raised a hand to wipe away the golden blood seeping from His cheek. With a casual flick of His wrist, the golden blood fell with the wind and snow into the darkness of Di'an City below. He met his gaze, His voice flat. "An opportunity was granted to you, yet you refused it. "Furthermore, I did not yield to you." "Master, that man is injured." Ran Qingmo's bright, black eyes did not blink. Her voice was crisp. "Though it seems it was because he got distracted." Ran Jianli gripped the hilt of his greatsword and shook his head. "Not distracted—vigilant. He is keeping watch against Di'an's city-protecting array, and against the other Saints within the city." This Saint from Sien was fighting Feng Jiuxuan while remaining on guard against his surroundings, yet only after more than a dozen exchanges had he been grazed by sword qi for the first time. *This man is strong.* As Ran Jianli pondered, his grip on the greatsword's hilt suddenly loosened, and a faint smile touched the corner of his lips. *No, this seems to be a trap.* *This Sien Saint is using Feng Jiuxuan's pride to set a trap for him. It seems this Saint of Sien has none of the pride that belongs to the strong.* Thinking this, Ran Jianli shook his head lightly once more. *Still, in a predicament like this, one must resort to every conceivable means to have any hope of seizing a slim chance of survival.* Just as the thought crossed Ran Jianli's mind, he saw the ocean of fire across the sky instantly extinguish. In its place surged countless silk-like ribbons, drifting through the wind and snow like gentle breezes and swimming dragons. The abrupt turn of events brought a flicker of confusion into Ran Qingmo's eyes. "Master, what are those silks?" Ran Jianli did not reply immediately. With Ran Qingmo's cultivation, she could only see what appeared to be silk ribbons swirling around the Emperor of Sien and Feng Jiuxuan. But as a fellow Saint, he could see them with perfect clarity. Those ribbons were composed of an energy akin to saint origin. While appearing smooth on the surface, their interiors were densely inscribed with various runes and incantations. These fluttering runes filled the sky, locking Feng Jiuxuan firmly in their midst. These incantation runes bore some resemblance to Great Yan's formations, but their underlying principles were fundamentally different. Great Yan's formations had to be engraved onto physical media, whereas what this Sien Saint had condensed was entirely energetic. As he considered this, Ran Jianli's hand on the greatsword shifted slightly, as if he were putting himself in Feng Jiuxuan's shoes to face the enemy. If he were in Feng Jiuxuan's position, how would he break this deadlock? Attempt to sever these incantation ribbons with greatsword techniques? Or directly deploy his Dao domain? As he pondered, Ran Jianli suddenly sensed something amiss once more. His eyes moved abruptly upward from the ribbons, finally settling on the clouds from which snow ceaselessly drifted down. And then, his previously calm, leisurely eyes turned exceedingly grave. Runes had been inscribed above the clouds as well. The snowflakes drifting down from them now carried a touch of divine radiance. "Ho..." It sounded like surprise, and like admiration. A trace of excitement surfaced on Ran Jianli's hale, wrinkle-creased face. Tonight, his presence at the Chancellor's Manor had only two purposes. First, to protect his precious disciple. Second, to investigate with his own eyes whatever had happened inside the Chancellor's Manor. But now, another desire had suddenly been added to the list. He wanted to go up there and slaughter that Sien Saint with his own hands. Ran Jianli was no battle maniac, yet he thoroughly relished the exhilaration of fighting and killing alongside equals. Unfortunately, he had not tasted that exhilaration in a very long time. As the years advanced, as his cultivation grew, and as his status rose ever higher, every move he made had come to carry far too much weight. If he remembered correctly, the last time he had engaged in a life-and-death struggle was back when he was still in the Transcendent Realm. Since breaking through into the Saint realm, Ran Jianli had not fought anyone in over thirty years. The thrill of vengeance and camaraderie from his youth, the heart-pounding rush of walking between life and death—all of it had nearly been forgotten with time. Now that such an opportunity lay right before him, how could he not be thrilled? Ran Jianli's breathing quickened slightly, his burly frame trembling faintly. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on the greatsword before him. *Hum—* As if sensing its master's heart, the greatsword in his hands let out a deep, resounding drone! The heavy sword chime rippled and swept outward, instantly sending loose dirt and stones swirling throughout the Chancellor's Manor! Sensing this surge of qi, Ran Jianli immediately snapped back to his senses, striving to quell the boiling fervor in his chest. As the leader of the Sect Alliance and the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, he had to remain rational. Though stepping in now would be righteous and justified under Great Yan's cause, for the Sect Alliance and the Sword Sect, it was far wiser to watch the fire from across the river. After all, this entire mess had been stirred up by the Chancellor's Manor from the start. While Ran Jianli was hesitating and agonizing over whether to charge into the sky and tackle that Sien Saint, Ran Qingmo suddenly raised a slender index finger, poked him in the waist, and whispered: "Master..." Ran Jianli jolted back to awareness, suppressed the excitement in his heart, coughed lightly, and forced his tone to sound gentle: "Qingmo, what is it?" "Xu Yuan's father is here." "Ah?" "..." Ran Qingmo blinked and looked behind Ran Jianli. Ran Jianli's brow twitched. He turned slowly, his gaze turning slightly cold. At the pavilion's stairway, a middle-aged man in a black dragon robe was walking up slowly, his steps steady and calm. Looking at Xu Yinhe, Ran Jianli's tone turned instantly cool. "The Chancellor truly possesses formidable skill. Even my sword gang didn't perceive your arrival." Xu Yinhe's expression remained unchanged. Stopping before the master and disciple, he said softly: "It is only because your mind was wandering." "Hmph." Ran Jianli snorted coldly. Giving him a searching look, he turned his gaze back toward the heavens, his tone somewhat unfriendly. "What did you come here for?" "What did I come here for?" Xu Yinhe glanced at him, a faint smile in his deep eyes. "If I remember correctly, this should be my manor?" "..." Ran Jianli fell silent for a moment, then reached out, grabbed Ran Qingmo's wrist, and started heading outside. "Qingmo, let us go. Return with Master to the Imperial Preceptor's Manor—" "..." Ran Qingmo's eyes widened, and she instinctively grabbed the windowsill. She did not want to leave yet. The very next instant, *Crack.* The wooden windowsill was ripped off entirely. Still clutching the detached windowsill in one hand, Ran Qingmo was forcefully dragged outside by the burly old man. Her lotus boots dug a trench into the wooden floorboards. Her dark eyes blinked, casting a pleading look toward Xu Yuan's father standing beside them. Watching this from the side, Xu Yinhe was silent for a breath before laughing softly. "Imperial Preceptor, I merely came to see what was happening after sensing the sword drone of Zhongwu." Stopping in his tracks, Ran Jianli shot a complicated glare at his precious disciple, who was stubbornly refusing to leave someone else's home, and said to Xu Yinhe: "If you have business, speak plainly." Xu Yinhe raised his gaze to look at the vortex of streaming light in the sky. "Eldest Brother dislikes being disturbed, so I hope you will exercise some restraint, Imperial Preceptor." "Heh." Ran Jianli gave a soft chuckle and let go of his disciple. Straightening up, Ran Qingmo looked down at the wooden windowsill torn off in her hand, then peeked cautiously at Xu Yuan's father across from her. After a brief hesitation, she stowed it into her Sumeru ring. She intended to try putting it back after her master and Xu Yuan's father left. Noticing his precious disciple's intent, the corner of Ran Jianli's eye twitched uncontrollably. Still, he focused his attention on Great Yan's Chancellor before him, seizing the chance to name his price: "It is fine if you want me to stay my hand, but first, tell me the identity of that Sien Saint." "He is the Sovereign of Sien." "What?" "I find it baffling as well, but that is what the intelligence reports." "Is that so..." Ran Jianli murmured, numerous thoughts flashing through his mind. Then, breaking into a carefree grin, he crossed his arms and lowered his voice: "Since you are so forthright, I will not intervene tonight. But with something this momentous, Chancellor Xu, aren't you going to go up and lend Feng Jiuxuan a hand?" At this, Ran Jianli's eyes took on a meaningful glint. "That Emperor of Sien is very strong. If Feng Jiuxuan falls tonight, your Chancellor's Manor might find things very difficult." Xu Yinhe understood the implication, yet not a ripple showed on his face. *Falls tonight—not falls at the hands of the Emperor of Sien.* The commotion tonight was too vast, and too many eyes were watching. Though it appeared as if only the Emperor of Sien and Feng Jiuxuan were in the heavens, in secret, who knew how many Saints were itching to strike, just like Ran Jianli? Among them, some were targeting the Emperor of Sien, but others were not. Xu Yinhe exhaled softly and uttered four words: "It will end soon." Ran Jianli chuckled. "You have that much confidence in Feng Jiuxuan?" Xu Yinhe gazed at Ran Jianli for several breaths before speaking slowly: "Twenty years ago was the first time Feng Jiuxuan defeated me." "..." Hearing this, Ran Jianli's brow twitched, and he immediately stepped back to the window. He did not believe Xu Yinhe would joke with him about such a matter. Across the sky, streams of light flared in all directions. Two figures sped through the dark clouds and the snowy night, sword brilliance clashing with spellcraft. Roar upon roar echoed ceaselessly, as though threatening to shatter the void. Had the Imperial Capital's city-protecting array not unfurled a barrier at low altitude, vast swaths of the city would have likely been reduced to ruins by the shockwaves above. Ran Jianli watched for a few breaths, a hint of doubt creeping into his eyes. "Ending soon? Why do I feel like they have only just begun?" Xu Yinhe sighed softly, his tone faint. "Imperial Preceptor, "Feng Jiuxuan was only using the strength he possessed twenty years ago. "Now, the probing is over." As his words fell, heaven and earth underwent a drastic transformation. A massive, hollow vortex began to manifest above the snowy clouds. The worldly Source Qi began to boil, violent gales rose abruptly, and the incantation silks and snowflakes of holy light filling the sky were all sucked upward in reverse. And at the center of this immense vortex, a figure in white slowly raised Qingyuan.