**Reprint please note the source:**

Upon the spectator stands, He Lian Yunyun graced her seat with an air of composed dignity.

In this moment, she embodied noble bearing and regal majesty, her gaze fixed upon the martial stage below, yet uttering not a single word. In truth, she was covertly pinching herself with her fingernails, a desperate measure to suppress the urge to leap up and cheer. After all, her mother, the formidable Female Emperor of the Mu Kingdom, had manifested her Dharma Image here. While her private pursuit of Zhao Rucheng was her own affair, to exhibit such unabashed emotion before the gathered populace… A pearl held dearly in the palm might well be trodden into mud beneath one’s heel. Thus, she remained dignified, seated firmly, unperturbed by the eight winds of fortune.

Beside her sat a figure cloaked in a bamboo hat and veiled in black – a female cultivator, a nun. Her rough hemp monastic robes of ink black were so voluminous that they concealed her form entirely. The day before, He Lian Yunyun had occupied this dignified seat alone. This tightly swathed nun in black was a recent arrival, appearing only today. Until this very moment, she had remained silent. It was only upon witnessing Deng Qi’s singular Sword Finger that a hint of surprise escaped her lips: “Does your Mu Kingdom still harbor such deeply imbued Buddhist killing techniques?”

Her astonishment was understandable. A divine kingdom such as the Mu Kingdom held a strong aversion to external extraordinary powers. Even Confucian scholars found it difficult to establish academies within its borders, let alone Buddhism, which also possessed potent religious overtones.

“Our Great Mu Empire boasts a vast territory and abundant resources, with powerful individuals as numerous as clouds and heavenly talents raining down. What killing technique could we possibly lack?” He Lian Yunyun replied with an indifferent wave of her hand. “It is not worth mentioning.”

On the opposing viewing platform, Chen Si Wu of the Song Kingdom was also deeply furrowing his brow. Any heavenly pride chosen to represent the Mu Kingdom at the Yellow River Assembly was bound to be extraordinary. Their strength was to be expected. Jin Ge, a scion of the renowned Jin family, was already celebrated for his ferocious killing power. That Deng Qi could replace Jin Ge just before the main competition was set to commence meant his strength was undoubtedly superior. He would never underestimate Deng Qi. Indeed, the Song Kingdom had no right to underestimate the Mu Kingdom.

What caused his brows to knit was the sheer breadth of Deng Qi’s knowledge. Throughout the clashes thus far, he had displayed neither the power of a divine sect nor the absolute arts of any of the true blood families of the Mu Kingdom. Not even the famed secret techniques of the Mu Kingdom’s royal court had been seen. Instead, he employed obscure and remote killing methods, some unheard of. For instance, Geng Metal Sword Qi was recognized by many, and several killing techniques based on it circulated. But to be so purely sharp, and to utilize it with such fluid control, dispersing and gathering at will, manifesting in a myriad of transformations… The killing method Deng Qi displayed was fearsome, yet its name remained unknown, its inheritance a mystery.

And the Small Wuxiang Plucking Flower Sword Finger he was now exhibiting, a technique that blended the wonders of both Buddhism and Daoism, was created by a powerful individual who entered the Dao through Buddhism, an inheritance dating back a thousand years. Chen Si Wu had only recognized it from a record in an ancient text.

How many more such trump card killing techniques did Deng Qi possess? Chen Si Wu himself was proficient in all six arts, achieving the Dao through the five shooting rites: “White Arrow, Three Connections, Sharpened Note, Xiang Chi, Well Instrument.” He considered himself extensively read and cultivated in a diverse array of disciplines. Yet, this Deng Qi… he simply could not see through him. He could not discern his master, nor his reliance. It was as if everything about this person was concealed beneath that strange bronze mask, brimming with infinite possibilities.

He shook his head. Facing such a heavenly pride, Yin Wen Hua held no chance. The Song Kingdom’s external building field had failed to enter the top eight, and now their inner mansion field competitor would likely fall in the first round of the main competition. The pressure weighing upon him suddenly intensified.

The strongest heavenly pride of the Song Kingdom on the outer field had already rendered his judgment, but Yin Wen Hua, of course, did not agree. Or rather, no matter who denied him, he sought his answers only from his own Candle Bright Sword.

As Deng Qi unleashed the Small Wuxiang Plucking Flower Sword Finger, the martial stage was instantly cleared. Yin Wen Hua no longer had time to unleash the second phase of the Clear Bright Sword. He directly reversed his grip on the Candle Bright Sword! Known as “Dark room and candle bright,” this sword, buried in ancient texts, sought the path of learning. Yet, it also possessed a sharp intent, advancing with unwavering firmness. It was listed in the famed weapons spectrum of the Song Kingdom. Since childhood, he had defended himself with this sword; their intentions were intertwined. As he reversed his grip on the long blade, a blinding light suddenly soared upwards, aimed directly at Deng Qi.

Sword qi like a long rainbow!

The Clear Bright Sword had three phases. The first phase, Tong Begin Hua; the second phase, Field Rat Transforms into Quail; and the third phase, Rainbow Begin See! This was now the third phase.

Sunset glow obscures the sun, the long rainbow pierces the zenith! The sky itself seemed to open, distance ceased to exist, the very air was penetrated. This sword descended like a divine light. In the eyes of the onlookers, only a brilliant, startling rainbow was visible, dazzling and conspicuous in the extreme!

But…

Deng Qi’s five fingers, like a blooming flower, like playing the zither on a summer night, like drumming the se in autumn, like picking flowers on a spring morning, possessed an extreme beauty, rich with leisure. With an almost imperceptible movement, he managed to pluck that long rainbow and hold it within his hand!

Five fingers, like a blooming flower, grasped the long rainbow. This scene was too beautiful, simply a poem come to life, intoxicating and drawing cries of exclamation!

Flowers bloom, flowers wither; fate arises, fate perishes. The Small Wuxiang Plucking Flower Sword Finger alive pinched and shattered the sword qi rainbow!

And at this moment, Deng Qi, sauntering forward, and Yin Wen Hua, striding forward, met at the center of the martial stage! They had exchanged several rounds since the battle began, but this was the first time they had closed the distance to such proximity.

This distance was subtle. The Candle Bright Sword, three and a half feet long. This was the distance where one sword could claim a life! Thus, the moment the Clear Bright Sword’s qi rainbow shattered, Yin Wen Hua’s sword momentum shifted again. He directly turned, circling his body, and unleashed a cutting strike!

The sword was like a wild goose taking flight, its cry like that of a mysterious bird. The air howled, sword qi crisscrossed. Wild geese called, mysterious birds cried, a hundred birds chirped! The Empty Bright Sword Heart, this divine ability, was not only a great aid to sword technique cultivation but also had an immediate effect in attack and kill. Each movement was pure, as the heart desired.

The White Dew Sword also had three phases: one phase, Wild Goose Comes; two phase, Mysterious Bird Returns; three phase, Group Birds Foster Shame. Yin Wen Hua unleashed the three phases in a single vertical movement, pushing this sword to its peak! For a moment, a hundred birds cried out together, circling and flying around Deng Qi. They descended like rain. The entire martial stage was filled with the sword light of the Candle Bright Sword. The sky and ground were all filled with the sword qi of the White Dew Sword. This single sword simply destroyed vision, erased the senses, leaving only the white dew to be seen, only the hundred birds to be awaited.

Sword qi crisscrossed, a hundred birds gathering towards a phoenix. Though not a phoenix, he would receive their homage and remain unharmed.

Terrifying sword intent, sword qi, and sword light completely enveloped Deng Qi. But this was not the end. The true intent of this sword lay in…

“Group birds store grain, to await the winter solstice!”

So the true killing move was actually in another sword of the twenty-four solar terms sword scripture—the Winter Solstice Sword! Yin Wen Hua used the White Dew Sword to build momentum, with the Winter Solstice Sword as the decisive hand. This perfectly aligned with the principle of autumn giving way to winter, the natural cycle of rotation. One who had not thoroughly practiced the twenty-four solar terms sword scripture could never achieve this. When the White Dew Sword accumulated to its peak, the might of that one Winter Solstice Sword would be fearsome! Truly achieving “One sword makes winter solstice, and ten thousand things wither.” That year, Dragon Gate Mountain Lord Yao Fu’s famous battle was marked by one sword that changed the sky and earth, bringing midsummer into winter, withering and killing all opponents. Yin Wen Hua, of course, could not reach that level, but he believed causing snow to fall within three steps of his presence was achievable. This was his absolute killing momentum.

However…

Deng Qi’s scattered steps suddenly shifted. His movement was peculiar; he clearly took a step to the right, but as his foot fell, he avoided the surging sword qi and sword light and stepped within three feet of Yin Wen Hua! What was this footwork?

As this thought flickered through Yin Wen Hua’s mind, he suddenly saw the spectral image of a golden-winged great roc, lunging towards him! This bird, which fed on dragons, though not a phoenix, could receive the homage of a hundred birds and remain unharmed. Upon closer inspection, it was a single strike of a sacred, brilliant golden sword finger!

Fast, too fast! His eyes had just registered the finger, and this sword finger was already pointed at his forehead! White Dew had not yet exhausted itself, Winter Solstice had yet to arrive. The timing of this single finger was exquisite, interrupting the continuation of summer and winter, stopping the absolute killing momentum in its tracks.

Intense pain spread instantly. Yin Wen Hua felt the agony, and a protective clear light enveloped him. Yu Xi had made his move… Yu Xi judged that he had encountered a death crisis! Yin Wen Hua instantly lost all strength, his eyes wide open as he watched those two fingers, forming a sword style, like gold poured, slowly withdraw from the wound in the center of his brow.

How could I lose? he thought. I cultivated the twenty-four solar terms sword, unparalleled within the same realm. Dou Zhao could sweep the world with the Dou Battle Seven Styles, and the Mountain Lord’s twenty-four solar terms sword is also among the world’s top. How could I… fall in the first round of the main competition?

Leaving home since childhood, abandoning a life of silk and jade, entering Dragon Gate Academy to study. Practicing in the morning, working in the evening, never daring to slacken. From a stumbling child, all the way to this point, becoming the pride of his family, representing the Song Kingdom stepping onto the View River Platform. Those cold nights practicing the sword, those bitter mornings of study… Was this only enough to walk this far? My twenty-four solar terms sword, I only displayed four swords. The Mountain Lord always said, among heavenly prides there are more heavenly prides, beyond high mountains, there are mountains higher. I only reached this point…

Yin Wen Hua felt a strange coolness. He did not know why, but fresh blood flowed from the center of his brow… It was not warm. Perhaps because… of regret.