I Have Many Swords!

Outside the small cabin. Not far away, Xia Yuwen wore an indifferent expression as he stood atop a high slope, looking down at the cabin. Bai Feng... He had known Bai Feng for many years. Long ago, people claimed that students of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction were invincible among peers of the same realm. In the end... it proved to be nothing more than a joke. Bai Feng had never once defeated him. On the contrary, when Xia Yuwen swept the rankings, he had swept Bai Feng aside several times. Of course, some felt it was unfair—Bai Feng was weaker than him. But Bai Feng being weaker was Bai Feng's own problem; what did it have to do with Xia Yuwen? Bai Feng had neglected his cultivation for the sake of research, but that too was Bai Feng's own business; why should Xia Yuwen care? Now at third-stage Lingyun, Xia Yuwen had already lost interest in fighting Bai Feng. His ambitions were greater, his sights set higher! Bai Feng was merely in the Tengkong Realm! From inside the cabin, Bai Feng stepped out. His complexion was somewhat pale. Having gone without sleep for several days, the dark circles under his eyes were prominent. Rattled continuously by that powerful divine character, his willpower had grown somewhat diffuse. Xia Yuwen frowned slightly but did not speak. With a smile on his face, Bai Feng walked out of the cabin. Behind him, Shanhai Realm experts like Wu Yuehua watched him emerge, bracing themselves for the eruption of a massive battle. Outside the battle zone, Wu Qi frowned in silence. She had not entered the zone; her grandaunt had forbidden her, as it was not something she could meddle in. Yet seeing Bai Feng swaying on his feet right now, Wu Qi's brow furrowed. In such a state, how could Bai Feng possibly fight Xia Yuwen? The gap had already been enormous! Eighth-stage Tengkong against third-stage Lingyun! Seeing Bai Feng approach, Xia Yuwen said impassively, "Is this what gives you the confidence to challenge a Lingyun?" Bai Feng chuckled. "Confidence for what? Is Lingyun that impressive? You talk as if reaching Lingyun makes you invincible!" With a yawn, Bai Feng continued, "Xia Yuwen, instead of properly competing for Manor Lord, why are you messing around with the Single Divine Character Faction? Do you really think causing a bigger fuss will make the manor lordship yours?" Xia Yuwen replied calmly, "The manor lordship is naturally something I will vie for! And the Single Divine Character Faction is naturally a group I need to win over! I can offer you a chance: have Chen Yong willingly resign from his post as library director. Not only will I spare your life, but I will also secure a sliver of hope for your faction!" He spoke directly and bluntly! What I want is mine! Dealing with you, Bai Feng, is merely a means to achieve my ends. Bai Feng yawned again, sounding bored. "You talk as if the entire Great Xia Prefecture already belongs to you. Since you're so capable, why don't you just tell Principal Wan to step down and take over as principal yourself? Or better yet, tell Manor Lord Xia to step down and hand the manor lordship straight to you!" "One must take things step by step," Xia Yuwen said, seemingly deaf to the mockery. "Once I step into the Shanhai Realm, why shouldn't I contest for the seat of principal?" "..." Bai Feng was left speechless. This fellow simply had not been beaten into humility yet; his words were as arrogant as ever. After pondering for a moment, Bai Feng suddenly chuckled. "There's one thing I've always wondered about. You're this arrogant—how come that bastard from the War Academy never came to thrash you?" Xia Yuwen cast him a glance and said indifferently, "Men of different paths cannot make plans together." Bai Feng did not get it at first, but after a moment, realization seemed to dawn, and he said in astonishment, "You mean because you're a Civilization Master and he's a warrior, he didn't beat you? Fuck, then why did he beat the shit out of me?" "..." No one answered. In the distance, Wu Qi rolled her eyes. Why did he beat you? The first time was during the assessment between the two academies—it was an official task. The second time was because you refused to accept defeat and went looking for trouble, only to get thrashed again. The third time was because you did something utterly shameless: while he was away, you swept the War Academy's Wanshi Rankings clean. When he returned, he had to beat you up just to uphold the War Academy's honor! And you dare ask why he beat you? You have no self-awareness whatsoever! Xia Yuwen ignored him and looked at him once more. "Have you considered it?" "Considered what?" Bai Feng wore a puzzled expression. Considered what? What did you even say? Xia Yuwen's expression shifted slightly. He looked at Bai Feng and did not repeat himself. This was the most irritating thing about Bai Feng. He only heard what he wanted to hear; whatever he didn't care about, he tuned out completely. Xia Yuwen slowly descended from the high slope, his voice calm. "Then are you ready?" "Ready for what?" Bai Feng laughed. "Ready for you to kill me? Are you sure you can? Xia Yuwen, don't overestimate yourself! In the past, I simply couldn't be bothered with you. A person like you would have been beaten to death long ago if not for the Xia family shielding you!" "Likewise," Xia Yuwen replied dismissively. You are no different! Without Hong Tan, you would be the same. "Fair enough!" Bai Feng smiled, and a longsword appeared in his hand—the Dragon Slaying Sword! Straightening his clothes slightly, he held the Dragon Slaying Sword aloft. Xia Yuwen's expression grew solemn; even against an eighth-stage Tengkong Bai Feng, he would not be careless. Bai Feng, however, ignored him. Lifting the Dragon Slaying Sword, he scraped it against his cheek to shave his stubble, smoothed down his robes, tidied his hair, and laughed, "All right, now I'm ready!" "Courting death!" No sooner had the words left Bai Feng's mouth than Xia Yuwen's face chilled, and he slashed out with his saber! The Sky-Opening Saber! The peerless art of the Xia family! Bai Feng stepped into the air. With a bang, the ground shattered, a deep saber scar cleaving through the earth all the way to the feet of several Shanhai experts before dissipating. "This has nothing to do with me! When the Xia family fines people, go settle the bill with Xia Yuwen!" Bai Feng yelled loudly. Money grubbers! That money-obsessed Marquis Xia probably wouldn't even let off Xia Yuwen. "Humph!" With a soft grunt, saber energy surged, cleaving through the air! A sky full of saber phantoms plummeted! Hovering midair, Bai Feng swung the Dragon Slaying Sword, noisily shattering arcs of saber energy one after another! Rip! A tear appeared on his white robe, followed by a second, then a third... Xia Yuwen had not even closed the distance before slashing again, unleashing countless saber shadows once more! Bai Feng swung his sword, leaving trailing afterimages! Slash, slash, slash... Bloody gashes surfaced on his body one after another. The disparity! At this moment, the Shanhai experts on both sides watched the battle. All of them could see the disparity! A gap of four full minor stages and an entire major realm. Strong though Bai Feng was, facing Xia Yuwen—who was an equally peerless genius—the gap remained immense. Bai Feng, who was accustomed to killing his foes with a single sword strike, could barely find an opening to deliver a full-powered blow. "Bai Feng, you disappoint me!" Xia Yuwen slashed again! The air trembled, and a sea of fire blazed across the heavens. Pain flickered across Bai Feng's face as he panted, "Interesting... your 'Fire' character isn't weak at all; it can even burn my Sea of Will!" "Keep going!" Bai Feng grinned through gritted teeth, continuing to swing his longsword to smash aside saber energy. His willpower jolted continuously as the sea of flames raged hotter and hotter! "Let me add some fuel to your fire!" The next instant, the fiery expanse spread across the world. Amidst the inferno, Bai Feng laughed, and flames flared up from his own body as well, blazing furiously! Rumble! The very air seemed on the verge of cracking from the heat! Yuan qi converged from all directions, and the fire grew larger and larger! Just as it blazed to its peak, there came a crackle, as if something had snapped under the heat! Xia Yuwen's face blanched, and he snapped his gaze toward Bai Feng! Bai Feng's face was equally pale, but he laughed. "Fun, isn't it? Did your divine character crack? Kids shouldn't play with fire! Haven't you ever heard that playing with fire only gets you burned? Do you know the principle behind it? Let me enlighten you: once all the surrounding willpower and yuan qi are consumed, this fire turns back to burn its master's divine character to keep feeding on willpower and fuel. So my little flame just now was merely an accelerant to stoke your fire. Fun, right?" "..." Xia Yuwen's expression shifted. His "Fire" divine character had once incinerated a Lingyun expert to death, yet today Bai Feng had casually broken it, even inflicting severe damage on the character itself! Bai Feng made it sound simple, but triggering such a backlash was by no means easy! This fellow... truly was a monster. Everyone only remembered Bai Feng's dazzling feats of killing opponents with a single sword strike, neglecting the fact that at his core, he was a genius researcher. Xia Yuwen said nothing and swung his saber once more! This time, he didn't just slash from afar! His figure flickered and vanished in an instant! Clang! A thunderous impact rang out! "Cough..." Bai Feng coughed, spewing blood into the air as his sword parried a saber. Overwhelmed by tremendous force, Bai Feng plummeted downward. With a crash, he slammed into the earth, creating a massive crater! Buzz! Xia Yuwen drew back his saber and slashed down again! A saber beam traversed the sky, chopping downward from above! "Heh heh..." A contemptuous laugh echoed as Bai Feng's divine characters erupted, instantly freezing the ground in all directions! With a resounding bang, the layer of ice cracked open under the strike! Bai Feng shot up from the earth and fled at high speed! "Bai Feng, you are too weak!" Xia Yuwen strode through the air in black boots, saber in hand, pursuing him step by step in his usual impassive tone. "You can flee outside the battle zone, and I will not kill you. Once I become Manor Lord, I can even recruit you into the Manor Lord's residence. How about it?" "How about nothing!" In the distance, Bai Feng bounded across the terrain as he fled, chuckling, "Men of different paths cannot make plans together! If you actually become Manor Lord and I'm still alive, I'd rather go home and farm than work under you!" Xia Yuwen advanced across the sky, his voice cold. "Those who understand the times are wise, Bai Feng. There are plenty of geniuses; what this world never lacks is geniuses!" "Then try killing me!" Bai Feng swung his sword behind him with a resonant hum, piercing the air toward Xia Yuwen! Bang! With a resounding crash, the sword was sent flying back. Bai Feng coughed up blood again, reclaimed his sword, and fled once more! One fled, the other pursued. Xia Yuwen swung his saber continuously, filling the surrounding space with saber energy imbued with terrifying killing intent and lethality. Whenever Bai Feng brushed against this energy, he was instantly slashed by countless blades of qi, his room to maneuver shrinking by the second! Nearby, Wu Yuehua and the others frowned. Wu Yuehua sent a voice transmission: "Bai Feng is no match for him. The gap is simply too wide. Even if Qi'er went up, she wouldn't be his match either! Xia Yuwen is formidable!" Bai Feng was someone capable of killing a second-stage Lingyun in an instant, yet under Xia Yuwen's blade, he couldn't even find an opportunity to counterattack. Of course, the fact that Xia Yuwen had been unable to take Bai Feng down after so long showed just how strong Bai Feng was. Still, the difference between them was too vast! Four stages, separated by the barrier of the Lingyun Realm! Liu Wenyan remained silent. Since Bai Feng wanted to try, he would let him try. *** On the perimeter. Zhou Mingren watched the chaotic battle calmly. Beside him, Elder Sun said with chilly eyes, "That bastard was arrogant enough when he killed Zhang Yu, but look at him now—nothing more than a stray dog!" Before, his hatred had not been quite so fierce, but now he detested Bai Feng to the bone! Last time, over a minor disagreement, Bai Feng had drawn his sword and slain Sun's disciple, leaving him beside himself with fury! Nurturing a disciple to the Lingyun Realm was no easy feat! Zhou Mingren ignored him and looked into the distance. Many experts were gathered over there. The old ghost of the Zheng family, Marquis Xia, Chief Butler Hu, Commander Zhao, Director Ji... A whole host of figures watched in silence! Zhou Mingren remained quiet. Beside him, Shan Tianhao from the Great Zhou Prefecture suddenly spoke up: "Principal Zhou, since you're already here, why bother letting Xia Yuwen deal with Bai Feng? We should capture Liu Wenyan directly to avoid wasting time!" Zhou Mingren said nothing. Shan Tianhao frowned slightly. "Principal Zhou..." Zhou Mingren glanced at him sideways and said softly, "No rush." "No rush?" Anger flared in Shan Tianhao's chest! Still no rush? What on earth are you waiting for? "Zheng Yuming is still injured. Does Principal Zhou not wish to save him?" Zhou Mingren looked at him once more, did not deign to reply, and turned his attention back to Bai Feng and Xia Yuwen. At this moment, Bai Feng was suppressed so thoroughly that he couldn't counterattack at all. Xia Yuwen was simply too strong! "Dean..." Elder Sun and the others also looked toward Zhou Mingren. They couldn't understand what he was waiting for either. If they dug up Zhang Ruoling's grave right now, the Multiple Divine Characters Faction would never stand for it. A massive battle would break out, and they could cleanly capture Liu Wenyan right then and there! Zhou Mingren frowned slightly and only spoke after a pause: "Not everyone is here yet! If Hong Tan doesn't return and we don't capture him, are we supposed to let him run amok outside? Don't you know the principle that if you fail to kill the snake, you will suffer from its venom?" Shan Tianhao, however, said urgently, "If we capture Liu Wenyan, Hong Tan will definitely come, and he won't be able to escape then!" Why insist on waiting? What if something unexpected happened during the delay? Zhou Mingren fell silent again and ignored him. Shan Tianhao grew irritated! Zhou Mingren suddenly said, "You can try if you wish. I cannot make a move. If I act and Hong Tan attacks, no one will be able to stop him!" "You..." Shan Tianhao stared coldly at him, then suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Zhou Mingren, don't think too much! Do you truly believe they can stop us? Are you waiting to deliver the decisive blow just to cement your position as the leader of Civilization Masters in the Great Xia Prefecture?" He saw right through him! Zhou Mingren clearly felt that these people might not be able to take down the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, and he wanted to be the one to decide the battle, thereby crowning his own glory! Zhou Mingren remained silent. He offered no reply and gave no reaction. "Have you forgotten Principal Zhou's instructions?" Shan Tianhao transmitted again! This Principal Zhou was not Zhou Mingren, but Zhou Polong, the principal of the Great Zhou Civilization Academy. The legitimate son of an Invincible! Zhou Mingren still remained silent. After being stonewalled repeatedly, Shan Tianhao was seething with rage. Did this man really think that without him, they had no way of dealing with Liu Wenyan and the rest? *** Afar on a mountaintop. Marquis Xia was not standing; instead, he sat sipping tea and nibbling on melon, lacking only a maidservant to fan him. As he ate, he chuckled, "Xia Yuwen and Bai Feng have torn up so much earth; I'm making a fortune!" Beside him, a tall, cultured middle-aged man glanced at him and smiled faintly. "It's the Xia family's money anyway. Once it changes hands, isn't it still yours?" "That's different!" Marquis Xia smiled. "Xia Yuwen can earn money on his own. He's no child; the Xia family subsidizes him with three thousand merit points a year. Look, he's already pulverized hundreds of cubic meters of earth. That's hundreds of thousands of merit points!" "He can't afford it." "Doesn't matter, as long as his grandfather can! Changqing has been vice manor lord for so many years—he's rich, no worries!" Marquis Xia laughed, then added, "Old Ji, sit down and have a chat! Isn't standing tiring? Why copy Old Hu?" Director Ji ignored him and showed no inclination to speak with him. Marquis Xia, unable to bear the quiet, pressed on: "Old Ji, who do you think will win between the two?" "Zhou Mingren and Hong Tan?" "No, I mean these two!" He pointed toward Bai Feng, who was still fleeing frantically. By now, Bai Feng's white robes had long since turned into blood-soaked rags. Incapable of retaliating, he could only dodge to barely preserve his life, growing weaker as the fight dragged on. At this rate, Xia Yuwen would slay him within a minute at most! Director Ji's brow furrowed slightly as his eyes grew luminous, as though peering into something unseen. After a long moment, he said with a faint smile, "Bai Feng dies; Xia Yuwen is wounded." "Are you peering into the future?" Marquis Xia suddenly chuckled. "That stuff isn't accurate. Even if you're in the Sun & Moon Realm, you can't necessarily see it clearly! Never mind Sun & Moon, even an Invincible can only make predictions by analyzing various pieces of information to arrive at a probable future, not a definite one!" Director Ji turned his head toward him and said with a faint smile, "Then what do you think?" "What do I think?" Marquis Xia chuckled. "How about this: let's make a bet. The stakes... how about your daughter?" "Hm?" Director Ji's gaze turned unfriendly in an instant! "What? What do you think of our Huyou?" Marquis Xia beamed. "He's simple, honest, dependable, hardworking..." "Ugly!" Director Ji offered only that single word! Too ugly, unworthy of my daughter! Marquis Xia's face darkened. "Everyone says my Huyou looks like me!" "Which is why he's ugly!" "You..." Marquis Xia was furious. He snapped, "Fine, if you don't want to, then forget it! Acting as if I'd even fancy your daughter! A measly newly advanced Sun & Moon being offered a marriage alliance with our Xia family is your good fortune, and here you are putting on airs! Forget it then!" Director Ji said indifferently, "Is the Sun & Moon Realm weak? Besides, my daughter does not accept secondhand goods!" "..." Marquis Xia looked thoroughly annoyed, while off to the side, Old Hu suppressed a chuckle. Secondhand goods... In a sense, yes! When Xia Huyou was young, he had an arranged marriage partner from the direct line of the Liu family. Unfortunately... the Liu family had fallen completely, and that direct daughter engaged to Xia Huyou had died on the All-Heavens Battlefield alongside her parents shortly after birth. Back then, the betrothal had been made while the child was still in the womb—half in jest, half in earnest. Director Ji's words were merely meant to get under Marquis Xia's skin. Marquis Xia huffed and quickly said, "I bet that kid Bai Feng definitely has another trump card. Of his two Dragon Slaying Swords, only one has appeared so far! Where's the other?" Director Ji raised an eyebrow slightly and murmured, "Where did he get two? Where did that extra one come from in the first place?" "Maybe he outlined two of them right from the start back then, and the kid kept it hidden!" Marquis Xia guessed irresponsibly! Director Ji said calmly, "I wonder whether he dismantled his own Dragon Slaying Sword." "Surely not?" Marquis Xia said uncertainly. "The divine character battle techniques of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction can't be dismantled, can they? Still, the possibility can't be ruled out. The kid spends all day cooped up in his lab; who knows what sort of oddities he's tinkered together? How about... you step in and protect him in a moment?" Director Ji smiled faintly and ignored him. Nearby, Old Hu also chuckled. "Marquis, this habit of yours, treating people according to what they're worth to you, isn't great. Last time, when so-and-so was killed, you didn't lift a finger!" Marquis Xia replied nonchalantly, "That's how business works—treat people according to their worth! See if it's worth intervening. If it's not, you lot can fight all you want!" The others ignored him. If you want to intervene, go do it yourself. *** Experts all around watched silently. Inside the battle zone, Bai Feng's white robes were soaked in blood; he seemed at the end of his rope! Bai Feng was not suited for prolonged combat! Many people were aware of this. Yet he had dragged the fight out for this long, growing weaker by the moment. Anyone with eyes could tell he was finished; if this dragged on, he wouldn't even be able to unleash his final sword strike. Xia Yuwen remained unhurried, tightening the perimeter of Bai Feng's escape step by step. He was on guard against that final sword! Twin swords! Up to now, Bai Feng had only deployed one; the second had yet to appear. With saber energy filling the air, Bai Feng's room to flee grew smaller and smaller! Xia Yuwen advanced steadily, consolidating each step! He was strong and haughty, yet in battle, he maintained his own disciplined approach—unhurried, composed, and patient. Dealing with someone like Bai Feng required absolute steadiness. Otherwise, the ship could capsize at any moment. "Bai Feng, are you still struggling? Let me see your second Dragon Slaying Sword!" "As you wish!" Bai Feng chuckled, let out a low roar, and thrust his sword forward! Simultaneously, another sword descended from the sky! One strong, one weak! "This one is too weak!" Xia Yuwen smiled faintly, reaching out a hand to grab the weaker sword. At the same time, his right hand swung his saber, slashing toward the sword flying at him head-on—that was the primary blade! With a thunderous crash, the primary blade was knocked back! The secondary sword was caught firmly in Xia Yuwen's grasp. Scanning it briefly, he frowned slightly. His willpower erupted, rattling the secondary sword. He found it strange—where did so many Dragon Slaying Swords come from? Was this his divine character battle technique? Or was it merely another martial technique? As he pondered, Bai Feng suddenly swallowed a drop of blood essence. Letting out a roar, his body expanded, and he lunged forward! "Innate blood essence?" "Too weak!" Xia Yuwen replied indifferently. With a jolt, he shook the secondary sword until it lost its luster, tossed it aside, and charged with his saber toward the frenzied Bai Feng! Slash! More blade wounds covered Bai Feng's body. His white clothes were torn to shreds, exposing his flesh and ghastly lacerations. "Still struggling?" "Struggle your ass!" No sooner had the curse left his lips than the two distant longswords suddenly merged into one, hurtling toward Xia Yuwen's back once more! Xia Yuwen sensed the might of that sword behind him, yet felt a twinge of doubt. It wasn't as formidable as he had expected. While it wasn't weak—perhaps capable of slaying weaker Lingyun cultivators—to him, it was far too feeble. Even if he were still in the Tengkong Realm, this sword could not kill him! The long saber in his hand flew backward to meet it. With a roar, it tangled with the longsword, locking into fierce combat! Barehanded, Xia Yuwen remained terrifyingly powerful. In the blink of an eye, he landed strike after strike on Bai Feng, beating him until blood sprayed constantly. The boost from the innate blood essence couldn't shake Xia Yuwen in the slightest. Bai Feng, however, paid it no heed. Swallowing several more drops of blood essence, he roared furiously and charged at Xia Yuwen again! Just at that moment, an earth-shattering killing intent erupted from his body! The next instant, yet another Dragon Slaying Sword appeared! Powerful! Even more formidable than the merged sword behind them! All around, several experts froze. A third sword? What was going on?! Xia Yuwen, on the other hand, let out a breath of relief. Now this makes sense! He knew Bai Feng wouldn't be so easy to kill; there had to be another trump card. And sure enough! This sword was powerful! Strong enough to kill Zhang Yu, which made everything that happened before fall into place. "Sky-Opening!" Xia Yuwen did not let his guard down. With a thunderous roar, nine points of light flared on his body! The nine apertures after merging! These nine points of light radiated immense power. At this moment, an ancient, primordial aura emanated faintly from Xia Yuwen's body—an aura of gods and demons, forged through casting his body with god and demon blood essence! Using his hand as a saber! Xia Yuwen bellowed as his hand blade chopped down! This strike carried a killing intent that shook the heavens! Gritting his teeth, Bai Feng let out an enraged roar and leaped into the air, grasping the third Dragon Slaying Sword. Yuan qi and willpower poured into it ceaselessly as he bellowed, "Shatter Yuan!" The third form of the Sky-Breaking Slash! This sword strike was dazzling beyond compare! Killing intent soared into the sky as divine characters erupted! Hand-saber and sword collided in an instant! Soundless! Only a shockwave of light swept outward in all directions! The two were frozen in midair, blade locked against blade. Using his hand as a saber, Xia Yuwen's right hand shone brilliantly in pure gold, unimaginably tough. Crack... A crisp sound rang out: the sword in Bai Feng's hand was fracturing. A fissure also appeared on Xia Yuwen's hand! Blood dripped down. Xia Yuwen chuckled softly. "Impressive. Strong enough to cross realms and kill a Lingyun. Bai Feng, you are very strong, but unfortunately... I am stronger!" It was merely a flesh wound! Bai Feng's strongest sword strike had failed to inflict severe injury on him. Meanwhile, Bai Feng's eyes were filled with disbelief, fury, and indignance... Why?! How can he be this strong?! "Go to your grave!" Xia Yuwen spoke softly, his left hand forming a blade as it slashed toward Bai Feng's head! "I refuse to accept this!" A roar of utter grief and indignation echoed across the surroundings! Wu Yuehua and her companions prepared to intervene, while on the opposing side, Shan Tianhao and his allies unleashed their auras in suppression, primed to erupt into war at any second. "I, Bai Feng, am a supreme genius! I won't accept this! I don't yield!" Bai Feng roared in despair! The longsword in his hand was shattering inch by inch! Xia Yuwen sighed softly and said nothing more, his left hand already descending toward Bai Feng's skull! You... can die now. "I refuse to accept this!" Bai Feng howled frantically, his willpower and yuan qi exploding outward as he struggled in a desperate final struggle! At this very moment, on the perimeter, Zhou Mingren's gaze shifted, his eyes opening wide to look toward a certain spot in the air! One by one, the gathered experts sensed that something was amiss! Right then, that two-in-one Dragon Slaying Sword that had been tangled with Xia Yuwen's cultural weapon saber—its aura previously flagging—suddenly erupted with blinding brilliance! A radiant light illuminated heaven and earth! The longsword was burning! Buzz! A thunderous roar shattered the air. With a bang, Xia Yuwen's cultural weapon saber was shattered in an instant! Pulverized! Xia Yuwen, just about to decapitate Bai Feng, had his expression warp drastically as his willpower roiled and one of his divine characters shattered. Unable to look behind him, he let out an enraged roar, brought his hands together into a single golden blade, and slashed down toward Bai Feng! "I underestimated you!" Xia Yuwen roared! "You've underestimated a lot more than that!" Bai Feng suddenly burst into laughter. Behind Xia Yuwen, a longsword tore through the air! Divine characters were burning! Xia Yuwen concentrated vast amounts of yuan qi across his back. He did not turn around; he was determined to execute Bai Feng! Even if he took a wound, he would kill Bai Feng! "Dumbass!" Just at the moment Xia Yuwen gathered his yuan qi, another longsword abruptly appeared in Bai Feng's hand! The Dragon Slaying Sword! A fourth sword! Unlike the ones before, this blade was initially dim and lusterless. Yet in the very next instant, eighteen brilliant points of light flared along its length! Eighteen divine characters were burning! "Sending you to the heavens!" A fierce shout rang out across the world! "Sever!" He swung the sword! The first sword, second sword, third sword... they had all been feints. Not entirely feints, either: each sword contained two divine characters, making six in total. To disguise them as powerful Dragon Slaying Swords, those characters had all been burned away! Bai Feng had outlined twenty-eight divine characters in total! Twelve were his basic divine characters, and sixteen had been outlined later. Right now, including the sword in his hand, twenty-four divine characters had been completely shattered, leaving only four drifting lonesomely within his Sea of Will, forming a tiny sword—the true Dragon Slaying Sword he intended to keep. Divine characters burned, his Sea of Will violently shook, and his divine apertures collapsed and sealed! The word "Sever!" echoed between heaven and earth. Buzz! Fast, too fast! Squelch! Xia Yuwen's golden hands, tough as vajra, were cleanly severed the moment they met this strike! Before blood could even spurt, it was instantly vaporized! Xia Yuwen's expression changed violently. Letting out a maddened roar, all nine apertures across his body suddenly detonated with a booming crash! A terrifying surge of yuan qi erupted! In the sky, a massive saber manifested, colliding with Bai Feng's burning blade! Saber and sword clashed once more! Utterly soundless! In the next instant, an overwhelmingly destructive force erupted from the center, sending a halo of light expanding outward that flattened every obstacle in its path! A small hill was sliced in half in a single breath! In the distance, several Lingyun experts blanched! Just as they tried to flee, the ring of light swept past with a wet slice. With a bang, one Lingyun expert's chest burst open, his physical body cleaved in two! "Suppress!" A clear shout rang out, and the dissipating shockwave was instantly brought under control! Zhou Mingren frowned as he suppressed the dispersing energy, reaching out with bare hands toward the bifurcated Lingyun. A white glow surged from his palms, forcibly piecing the ruptured body back together. A moment later, that Lingyun expert trembled with lingering dread. Pale-faced, he looked toward the center of the battlefield and then down at his own injuries, wanting to weep without tears! His physical body had been wrecked! From mere aftershocks! He had nearly died. Even though he survived, without half a year or even a full year, he would never restore himself to his former state! The onlookers in every direction focused their gaze upon the center! In midair, Bai Feng grinned through clenched teeth! The sword in his hand had shattered completely into fragments. His Sea of Will was grievously damaged, his divine apertures sealed, his divine characters broken, and his flesh ruptured in dozens of places, splattering blood everywhere. Before him, Xia Yuwen's arms had been severed—just like his disciple, he had lost both arms. That was not all. Crucially, his nine apertures had ruptured and his yuan qi was completely drained; only then had he barely managed to ward off that strike! Pop! The space between his eyebrows split open! Blood welled out! Xia Yuwen uttered no sound, staring numbly at Bai Feng. Their gazes met, and both fell from the sky simultaneously! Thud! Thud! The two crashed to the ground at the same time. Xia Yuwen looked as though he had been split open! A fissure spread from between his eyebrows! From between his brows to the tip of his nose, to his lips, to his chest... extending all the way down! Xia Yuwen stared at the sky. He was not dead, but his mind was a complete blank. He couldn't fathom why... there was a fourth sword! What on earth had Bai Feng done? As for Bai Feng, his Sea of Will was nearly turned to mush, and even his main divine character had shattered. Gouts of blood spilled from his mouth, instantly dyeing the ground red. "Martial Uncle... save me..." He felt he could still be salvaged. Why hadn't anyone come to rescue him after he hit the ground?! Martial Uncle... is such a fucking cheat! At this moment, the experts around them finally snapped back to reality! Still dazed, still incredulous! "Bai Feng... dismantled his own divine character battle technique and burned away his primary core divine characters..." This... even if he didn't die, he was completely ruined! Was there any point in living like this? Perhaps there was—Zheng Yuming was in a similar state. But Zheng Yuming still had plenty of divine characters that hadn't shattered. What about Bai Feng? How many did Bai Feng have left? Could his Sea of Will withstand such a horrific backlash? *** "Xia Yuwen actually didn't win!" Outside, Wu Qi was equally stunned! Xia Yuwen, at the third stage of Lingyun, had nearly been sliced in half by Bai Feng! He had guarded against the first sword, the second sword... guarding against everything, yet failed to guard against that final strike! With his nine apertures ruptured and his cultural weapon destroyed, could Xia Yuwen's injuries even be healed? *** At the same time, Marquis Xia and the others wore peculiar expressions. Director Ji muttered, "Four Dragon Slaying Swords. Don't tell me he outlined four from the start. He dismantled the Dragon Slaying Sword... dismantled it four times!" How on earth did Bai Feng manage that? The next instant, he suddenly extended a hand and reached toward the clearing! Simultaneously, Shan Tianhao and several others made their move, reaching out toward Bai Feng! Rules? No one cared anymore! How Bai Feng managed to dismantle the Dragon Slaying Sword was something they were far too eager to find out! "He's ruined. Grant me some face..." Director Ji spoke calmly. In an instant, a massive golden seal smashed directly toward Shan Tianhao and his group! The seal expanded rapidly! Simultaneously, a bright moon rose in the sky! Rising in an instant, it plummeted just as quickly, blotting out the sky as it crashed down toward Zhou Mingren! Zhou Mingren frowned and took several steps back! With a deafening boom, Shan Tianhao and the others were sent flying by the golden seal. Director Ji scooped up Bai Feng in a giant palm and retracted it instantly. Bai Feng slumped before him, eyes unfocused and blood spilling from his mouth, whispering almost inaudibly, "Fuck... be gentle..." Director Ji smiled and said nothing. Over on the other side, Zhou Mingren stepped back and looked toward Marquis Xia and his group, saying calmly, "If you intended to intervene, you should have said so earlier. Why wait until now? If the Xia family had forbidden it, this battle would never have erupted in the first place!" Marquis Xia shrugged. "Has nothing to do with me. Old Ji is the one who acted; take it up with him!" Zhou Mingren said nothing, while Shan Tianhao raged, "You demarcated the battle zone yourselves, and now you go back on your word?!" "Old Ji did it!" Marquis Xia repeated. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Fine him, and forbid him from acting again! If he acts again, fine him by making him go to the All-Heavens Battlefield to kill a Sun & Moon expert. How does that sound to everyone?" "Hand over Bai Feng!" Shan Tianhao roared in fury! Director Ji ignored him completely, gripped Bai Feng, and turned to leave! Hand him over? Fat chance! He was bursting with curiosity right now—how did he pull it off? How did he split it into four Dragon Slaying Swords? Miraculous! "Ji—" Before Shan Tianhao could finish his shout, Director Ji suddenly turned around. Moving with peerless speed, he appeared right before Shan Tianhao's eyes in an instant. A bright moon manifested in his hand, and he struck out with the brilliance of the sun and moon! Bang! Flesh and blood burst apart! Another strike chopped down—bang! Blood splattered and bones shattered! Director Ji watched coldly as Shan Tianhao forcibly regenerated his flesh, and said indifferently, "Is this explanation sufficient? If not, have Zhou Polong come see me himself!" Silence! Director Ji calmly scanned his surroundings. "Fight your battles as you will; I want what I want. If I want to protect him, then he is protected! A mere Shanhai daring to stand in the way of me, Ji Hong, in the Great Xia Prefecture?" He glanced sideways at Zhou Mingren and said calmly, "Principal Zhou, if you object, you are welcome to try!" Zhou Mingren said nothing. "I, Ji Hong, am protecting a Tengkong. Does anyone else dare challenge me on this?" Director Ji looked around and asked indifferently, "Does anyone else have an objection?" Silence! "Then I shall take my leave!" Director Ji smiled, hoisted Bai Feng, and stepped away across the sky.