Beneath the bronze mask, a face of striking plainness was revealed. So utterly ordinary was it, that Huang Sheli felt no surprise, even entertaining the thought that a touch more ugliness might have been more fitting.

But as a stone cast into still waters sends forth ripples, this seemingly unremarkable countenance rippled, then shattered. The bronze mask, it transpired, was naught but illusion, and the layer of illusion upon the face was likewise struck asunder! So fearsome was Huang Sheli’s blow, though seemingly evaded, it could not be escaped. The Universal Salvation Subdue Demons Pestle, a weapon to break demons, shatter laws, and slay to save, fulfilled its purpose.

And thus, the world beheld the true visage of Mu Country’s enigmatic celestial talent. The entire world stage fell silent for a moment.

What manner of face was this?

Every feature – brows, eyes, nose, lips, ears – was utterly flawless, breathtakingly beautiful. Each astonishing detail seemed the work of a divine craftsman, yet no mortal hand could replicate such perfection. This was a face of absolute, transcendent beauty, surpassing all notions of gender, age, or discerning eye. All who gazed upon it were struck by its profound allure.

The bronze mask, shattered into four fragments, tumbled to the ground. All eyes converged upon this face. How many were lost in infatuated stupor, how many exclaimed in wonder, how many burned with envy! Alas, perhaps the Heavenly Dao possesses imperfections, often leaving the mortal realm rife with sorrow. The world’s most exquisite beauties rarely linger long.

Upon the forehead of this breathtaking face, a shallow indentation marred its perfection – the mark left by the Buddha-head of the Universal Salvation Subdue Demons Pestle. It bore the imprinted smile of the Yellow-Faced Buddha, suppressing the divine radiance of the face and steadily extending its influence.

While the mask remained, none felt anything amiss. Yet upon seeing this face, and then this mark, a pang of heartache resonated within many. How cruel was Jing Country’s Huang Sheli! Three rivulets of blood traced their way from this indentation, winding down the high bridge of the nose, silently flowing, meandering across that utterly beautiful countenance. They were testaments to the ferocity of Huang Sheli’s blow.

One could only speculate on the method by which Deng Qi had defended, preventing his entire forehead from being shattered. But these three winding crimson lines, far from marring his beauty, added a touch of vibrant life. One could truly feel that this person was real, that such a being could truly exist in this world. Jade-like skin reflecting crimson blood lent a poignant sorrow to his beauty, stirring involuntary pity.

The spectators had gathered upon the Guan He Terrace to witness the clashes of the various nations’ celestial talents, to behold a spectacle of surging winds and clouds, of peak confrontations where even the most graceful of talents could be struck down to dust. One could say that all spectators possessed certain psychological expectations for any scene. Yet, despite this, a chorus of sighs arose.

In the spectator stands, He Lian Yunyun, having just witnessed Huang Sheli and Zhao Ru Cheng “intertwining fingers” upon the martial stage, had exclaimed, “Yu Zhen, look at this Huang Sheli, does she have any connection to your Washing Moon Nunnery? I see she possesses much Buddha-nature, and even a Bodhi heart, and can recite scriptures. She seems very suitable to become a nun.”

Yu Zhen softly replied, “Your Highness Cloud, she is quite clearly not on the same path as us, is she?”

The next moment, Zhao Ru Cheng’s mask was shattered, the illusion on his face likewise dispersed, and his true appearance presented to the world.

He Lian Yunyun’s eyes remained riveted to the martial stage, yet her left hand immediately extended horizontally, shielding the eyes of the nun Yu Zhen. Her tone was earnest: “Then simply don’t look, lest this evil demon of the external path defile your pure eyes.”

Yu Zhen: ……

To speak of heartbreak, none could compare to Huang Sheli. Of all the world’s pitying souls, none surpassed Huang Sheli. Yet it was she herself who, with the Subdue Demons Pestle, had struck this face of absolute beauty, even leaving a mark, drawing blood! Of course, drawing blood could only be considered a minor injury; her original intent had been to shatter the entire head, but most of the force had been deflected…

But the face was utterly different! Before the blow, it was a strange bronze mask; after, it was such a countenance of unparalleled beauty. How could Huang Sheli not feel heartbroken?

Yet, heartbreak remained heartbreak, and heartache, heartache. Huang Sheli’s steps did not falter in the slightest. Grasping the Subdue Demons Pestle, she advanced swiftly. Take advantage of his weakness, to take his life!

Huang Sheli was a woman who clearly delineated her career from her personal inclinations! It was true she admired beauty. The more beautiful, the more she admired. Mu Country’s Deng Qi was indeed a great beauty. By facial features alone, he surpassed all she had ever seen in her life, beautiful to an indescribable degree. Simply tragically beautiful!

But on the battlefield, victory and defeat came first. When two armies met, life and death must be decided! The Yellow-Faced Buddha’s smile, imprinted on his forehead, also nailed down his divine soul. This was truly the moment for a life-or-death decisive blow!

Huang Sheli not only advanced quickly, but the target of her falling Subdue Demons Pestle was still that face. She almost wanted to weep. Such wanton destruction of a celestial creation! But this was precisely the guidance she received in the state of Bodhi divine power enlightenment; at this moment, she judged this to be the optimal point of attack.

To think that I, myself, must destroy such beauty. Huang Sheli truly has an iron heart, I am not human!

Huang Sheli, suppressing intense emotions, her heart a maelstrom, yet her actions utterly unaffected, in the verge of tears, leaped up and swung the Subdue Demons Pestle.

Suddenly, a powerful sense of crisis arose within her. A terrifying aura, one that made her tremble, erupted from the body of the beauty before her. The Bodhi divine power transmitted a warning. If this pestle fell, the one to die might very well be herself! She could not advance further!

Huang Sheli made a decisive move. She raised the Subdue Demons Pestle defensively and retreated with extreme speed! Her advance was swift, and her retreat was equally swift. She was a true formidable warrior, in battle everything centered on victory and defeat, firm in her own judgment and resolute in its execution.

However…

Mu Country’s universally beautiful man, named Deng Qi, did not launch a counterattack immediately. Instead, he looked towards the area below the stage. In this moment of ten thousand eyes, at the crucial juncture of this peak battle, he suddenly cast his gaze beyond the battlefield, looking towards the area below the stage!

What was below the stage? At this moment, what could possibly be more important than this battle? This was a battle for his future path, a battle of life and death, a battle for glory!

People followed his gaze. What was below the stage? The area below the stage was, in fact, empty.

Only one… person with tears streaming down their face!

A figure in a green shirt, upright and resolute, a renowned sword at his waist, wearing nameless jade. Motionless, yet tears flowed like rain. Utterly silent, yet a hero to the world!

That was Great Qi’s celestial talent, Jiang Wang, his name listed among the world’s Inner Mansion Four Strong. He had forcefully defeated Chu Country’s absolute top celestial talent, Xiang Bei, and now stood below the stage watching.

Zhao Ru Cheng looked at him. He, too, looked at Zhao Ru Cheng. On stage and below, two people gazed at each other.

This was a gaze that had been delayed for two entire years. Since the fall of Fenglin City, they had not seen each other again! Each had once believed that their parting before the Dao Xun Hall had become a farewell forever. (Volume One, Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three)

At that time, they had just completed another task together, distributed the Dao Xun, and returned home. But why, from then on, was there no more “home”?

The two people simply gazed at each other like this. Zhao Ru Cheng, usually more prone to tears, shed not a single drop. Jiang Wang, usually the stronger one, had tears that burst the dam, flowing like rain.

“Jiang Wang.”

Zhao Ru Cheng, upon the stage, opened his mouth, his voice restored to its original tone, no longer awkward. His time spent hunting demons in the borderlands had thoroughly worn away his youthful inexperience. Revealing his true appearance at this moment was an accident, but he quickly accepted it and chose to face it. His expression was very serious, and very earnest.

Thus, at this moment on the martial stage, he seemed more like an elder brother, while Jiang Wang below appeared more fragile and helpless.

He said, “From now on, you just be a good Qi person, act as a Qi official, build a good future, live a happy life. Don’t bear the weight of past events. What Zhuang Country owes you, I will demand for you. What Zhuang Country owes Big Brother, I will demand for him. This Kui name, I will take. The path that follows, I will walk. Everything, I will bear.”

Zhuang Country? Zhuang Country owed Jiang Wang? What did Zhuang Country owe him?

The spectators immediately recalled the forfeit of Zhuang Country’s celestial talent, Lin Zheng Ren! Why had Qi Country encountered Zhuang Country in the first round of the main match? Why was Lin Zheng Ren so fearful of his opponent that he suddenly suffered a blood ghost backlash and forfeited?

Within this lay too many untold stories, too many secrets!

Jiang Wang looked at Zhao Ru Cheng, as if he could never see enough, gazing fixedly at him. He did not speak. He could not speak. The wild hope had actually come true, that vague guess had actually become reality. The good brother he thought he would never see again now stood before him.

This journey… too weary, too bitter! Although he had never complained, never slacked. But once upon a time, he had truly wished for someone to share the burden. And who could share the burden? In this world, besides those who had experienced that scene, who could truly empathize?

He did not know why he was shedding tears. Clearly, his heart held only joy, overflowing joy, happiness that almost wanted to leap out of his chest, but he could not stop the tears from falling. He shed tears of overwhelming joy, yet could not utter a single word.

Old alleys, long streets, old buildings, old matters often linger in dreams. Do not laugh at a hero shedding tears, for who has not once been heartbroken!

In the spectator stands, Ye Qingyu immediately looked towards Ye Lingxiao. If any action were to be taken against Zhuang Country on this Guan He Terrace, Yun Country could perhaps provide some evidence.

Ye Lingxiao did not turn her head, only transmitting her voice back: “This matter is not easy. Wait and see.”

Not to mention these two young people were merely celestial talents of the younger generation. Even if these two individuals on stage and below truly represented Mu Country and Qi Country, Zhuang Country also had a contemporary True Person sitting in, possessing four thousand li of land and a strong army. It was a nail driven by Jing Country into the western border, and also the strongest force of the Dao lineage in the west.

Whoever wished to bully it, Jing Country, as a Daoist nation, would absolutely not stand idly by. As seen, even though Zhuang Country’s Lin Zheng Ren lost face to such an extent, Jing Country did not say it would forcefully slay him as a sacrifice. Fundamentally, Zhuang Country itself already possessed sufficient weight.

And on the martial stage, after Zhao Ru Cheng finished his speech, he turned his head back and looked towards Huang Sheli. As he looked at Huang Sheli, his pair of beautiful, expressive peach blossom eyes held only coldness. Inside his body, a terrifying sword howl echoed. And the smiling face of the Yellow-Faced Buddha imprinted on his forehead instantly shattered into pieces!

Old alleys, long streets, old buildings, old matters often linger in dreams. Do not laugh at a hero shedding tears, for who has not once been heartbroken!

—From *No Way to Title It*, “How Could Emotion Be So Intense”