The entire assembly was utterly shocked!

No one could have foreseen that Qin Zhizhen, who had always delayed until the final moments, who had pushed the Yama Hall to its very limits and successfully manifested the true form of the Yama Heavenly Son, would still meet defeat!

Yet, having fallen at the hands of this Sword Immortal, cloaked in frost and wind, bathed in crimson fire, and stepping upon verdant clouds, not a single soul could voice a word of dissent!

This was an eternally supreme sword, an immortal wielding a towering mountain peak as his blade, piercing through the long night’s underworld, and vanquishing the Yama Heavenly Son.

Its form was towering, its momentum majestic.

Its light was brilliant, its might awesome!

This battle was absolutely no less spectacular than the world-shattering clash between Dou Zhao and Chong Xuanzun; indeed, it surpassed it.

The radiant Heavenly Pride of the Outer Mansions, so dazzling and brilliant, had once left many spectators mentally fatigued, making it difficult to muster enthusiasm for the Inner Mansion battles.

Although Jiang Wang had set a record for the fastest victory in history the moment he stepped onto the stage, with Lin Zhenren of Zhuang Country losing without a fight…

It had inevitably left people feeling, “Is that all there is?”

With events like pre-battle setbacks occurring, was this truly the standard of the Inner Mansion arena?

Only when Deng Qi, the Heavenly Pride of Mu Country, displayed his supreme talent, blending terrifying killing arts into a single furnace, did the Inner Mansion finally offer points of interest.

The peak duel between the Heavenly Pride of Qi and Chu only then caused many to begin taking the quality of this session’s Inner Mansion seriously.

Alas, the soul power battle, while undeniably powerful and among the top duels at the Inner Mansion level, largely took place within the Tongtian Palace, making it difficult for spectators to witness its wonders.

Only when Jiang Wang burst forth from the Broken Fire Realm, shattering the Swallow Thief Overlord’s Physique with the Life-Taking Nails, did a truly stunning image emerge.

Then, Qin Zhizhen’s simultaneous illumination of five mansions on the spot, instantly matching Chong Xuanzun from the Outer Mansions, immediately elevated the spectators’ expectations to their peak!

The upper half of the semi-finals, the clash between the Reverse Traveler and the Heavenly Son’s Sword, further raised the spectacular level of this session’s Yellow River Grand Meeting Inner Mansion to the forefront of history.

And this was not even the endpoint!

After the lower half of the semi-finals, no one would doubt it any longer.

The quality of this session’s Yellow River Grand Meeting Inner Mansion had already entered the top three in history.

The Sword Immortal versus the Yama Heavenly Son was absolutely one of the most spectacular Heavenly Pride duels since time immemorial!

When Jiang Wang destroyed the mountain as his sword, crashing through the Yama Heavenly Son…

In the Qi Country viewing stands, Wang Yiwu, sitting with several young military officers, felt the long-simmering battle intent in his eyes suddenly dim.

Before Jiang Wang’s sword, he had never felt that his own performance on stage would be inferior. Had it not been for the punishment at Dongjie Kou, who would have represented Qi Country in the Inner Mansion was unknown. He, too, should have contended with the Heavenly Pride of various countries on this world stage!

After Jiang Wang’s sword, he truly could not find a possibility of defeating this person!

But Wang Yiwu was Wang Yiwu after all.

That light in his eyes only dimmed for a moment before rekindling.

Not as good today, not necessarily not as good tomorrow.

Not as good one day, not necessarily not as good for a thousand days!

If Jiang Wang could rise later, defeat him, and surpass him, why could Wang Yiwu not counter-surpass him?

Strive ceaselessly amidst the boundless waves, and with a single fist, dominate the tides!

Witnessing this same sword, Chong Xuansheng’s fists clenched instantly. His eyes, sunken in flesh, bulged like two beans embedded in dough.

This was a perfect picture beyond his imagination.

From Tianfu City to Dongjie Kou, from Tianyatai to Guanhetai…

Jiang Qingyang had never disappointed!

Beside him, Shisi lowered her head, looking at her armored hand.

What should I do? she thought.

Later, if he wants to beat you, I truly can’t stop him…

About twenty rows ahead of Chong Xuansheng’s seat, in the foremost single enclosure, were the preparation seats for Qi Country.

Cao Ji leaned back lightly, his posture clearly much more relaxed.

His peripheral vision swept over the white-robed, snow-like figure of Chong Xuanzun beside him, seeing his proud profile, intensely serious at this moment.

Even if Chong Xuanzun shone brightly, he could not illuminate Linzi alone. As a high-ranking official of Qi Country, his heart was filled with satisfaction.

And Chong Xuanzun quietly gazed in the direction of the martial arts stage, his eyes filled with regret.

Regret for not being able to fight Jiang Qingyang in the Inner Mansion. For not being able to meet this Sword Immortal with the Sun, Moon, and Star Wheel Delusion-Cutting Knife!

Now seeing Dou Zhao’s Heavenly Man’s Five Decays was a loss in one area but a gain in another.

But if they had first contended in the Inner Mansion before Taixu…

After contending in the Inner Mansion, regardless of the outcome, then advancing to the Outer Mansion.

In this way, to witness both the Sword Immortal and the Heavenly Man’s Five Decays, what joy could be greater!

He, Chong Xuanzun, could only be said to have lived fully by meeting the world’s ultimate peak!

What a pity!

Ji Zhaonan rested his spear horizontally on his knee, and that pole of bright white, snow-like Shaohua Spear, trembled slightly on his knee.

He smiled silently.

As a Divine Ability master, to be inspired to battle by an Inner Mansion cultivator was truly a rare thing.

But he truly looked forward to seeing what kind of scene it would be when Jiang Wang achieved Divine Ability!

If Jiang Wang could first defeat Wang Yiwu in the Inner Mansion, and then defeat him, Ji Zhaonan, in the Divine Ability realm, earning a title like “Nemesis of the Military God’s Disciple”…

Wouldn’t that be interesting?

Compared to the people of Qi, the mood of the people of Qin was naturally complex.

Zhang Gu remained silent for a long time.

Compared to Gan Changan’s defeat, Qin Zhizhen’s loss made him sigh more deeply. Gan Changan was only nineteen, slightly lacking in accumulation in the Outer Mansion realm, and his pre-battle expectation was only to contend for second… finally stopping at the top eight.

Meeting Dou Zhao was also unavoidable.

Qin Zhizhen was different. With his knife art surpassing the absolute top and his simultaneous illumination of five mansions, he was the one the Qin Country had sworn to win the championship name this time.

In the Inner Mansion arena, he had never even considered the possibility of not being first.

Now he was stopped in the top four…

But he truly could not say that Qin Zhizhen’s performance was not outstanding enough. He could only say that the world was vast, stars shone brightly, and there was a mountain beyond the mountain. Jiang Qingyang was indeed astonishingly talented and deserved the victory!

The Commander of the Great Rong Army, deeply concerned about state affairs, glanced at Huang Budong. Now, he could only rely on this fellow…

However, the little old man, Huang Budong, with his narrowed, squinting eyes, seemed unaware of anything outside, lost in some daze.

Within the entire Qin Country viewing team, not a word was spoken.

The successive losses in the Outer Mansion and Inner Mansion were truly not easy for the martial-spirited people of Qin to accept.

They had clearly won the River Valley battle, greatly defeating the powerful Chu, and were at a time when their influence was rapidly expanding, once wanting to contend with Jing Country for the title of strongest.

But the results of this Yellow River Grand Meeting…

Were truly not enough to match the Great Qin’s national power.

Gan Changan remained silent.

What was it called when a sword could pierce through the spirit?

This was it!

Qin Zhizhen lost and was not wronged.

He had nothing to say!

This eternally supreme sword on the martial arts stage illuminated how many hearts.

In the Mu Country viewing stands, He Lian Yunyun’s cyan eyes swiveled, tilting her head to look at Zhao Rucheng.

Although she didn’t speak, the meaning in her eyes was very clear—

“Your righteous brother is very impressive!”

Zhao Rucheng’s lips curled up, and he laughed.

A proud laugh, a brilliant laugh, a laugh so charming!

This was the first time He Lian Yunyun had seen him laugh so naturally, freely, and frankly since she had known him!

So she couldn’t help but laugh as well.

At the same time, she precisely blocked Zhao Rucheng’s smile, not allowing the Yu Zhen female nun a chance to see it.

She thus also ignored that from beginning to end, Yu Zhen’s gaze was fixed on the martial arts stage, not moving for a single moment.

Unlike Zhong Shan Weisun, who gasped in cold air, and Commander Xia Houlie, who was visibly nervous and worried for the young Heavenly Pride of Mu Country…

Huang Sheli’s eyes simply shone brightly. She sat widely in her seat, propping her elbows on her knees, holding her face in her hands, staring foolishly at the martial arts stage.

Absolutely beautiful!

Beautiful to death, this old woman!

Truly a Sword Immortal child!

This trip to the Yellow River Grand Meeting was truly worthwhile!

Xia Houlie slanted an eye and glared at her for a long time, but she remained unaware.

Is this perhaps studying the opponent?

The Commander of the Valiant Cavalry could only comfort himself in this way.

For viewers beyond Qin and Qi, setting aside their country’s position, they could feel this battle more completely.

And they were even more deeply shocked by this scene.

Unrelated to country, unrelated to anything else, purely in the sense of the beauty of unleashed power. That was the most naked cognition of strength by humanity. That was the most vast scenery they might ever witness in this lifetime at the Inner Mansion realm!

Such a gorgeous battle image was imprinted into their eyes, as if also into their hearts, long unable to dissipate.

What was called a gathering of wind and clouds?

No more than today.

What were called world-class Heavenly Pride?

No more than in this battle!

And at this moment, on the ancient martial arts stage, amidst the gazes of tens of thousands…

Jiang Wang took a few steps forward.

The fire lines on his body were still burning, the frost cloak on his back still fluttering, and the sword light in his eyes was still shining.

Beyond elegant, beyond unrestrained!

His expression was very calm.

There was no wild joy after victory, as if this was originally an inevitable outcome.

Nor was there a feigned contempt for the so-called “defeated general,” for he, too, had journeyed here with difficulty.

At this moment, he stood high above, looking down at Qin Zhizhen on the ground.

He only asked: “How is he now?”

The same question, this was the second time Jiang Wang had asked.

At that time and that moment, Qin Zhizhen was like a reef in an angry sea.

At this time and this moment, Qin Zhizhen lay powerless on the ground.

The true form of the Yama Heavenly Son had been shattered, and the majestic crown and robes on his body had naturally faded.

Until this moment, only that set of black martial clothes still accompanied him.

Perhaps one should also count the broken knife in his hand.

He gripped the knife with such a tight clench, as if unwilling to give up.

But True Monarch Yuxi’s path of clear light continuously transmitted warmth, continuously ferrying life force… this feeling made him understand that without this path of clear light, he would already be dead.

So he had truly lost.

How could I lose?

He thought.

The two most dazzling Heavenly Pride in this session’s Outer Mansion were Dou Zhao and Chong Xuanzun.

He asked himself, not losing to either of them.

His control over killing methods was not as good as Dou Zhao’s, and his development of Divine Abilities was not as good as Chong Xuanzun’s. But he was like a combination of the two, with both killing methods and Divine Abilities surpassing the absolute top!

At the same realm, against anyone, he should not lose.

Now was actually not his strongest state.

If at his most peak, his Iron Wall Divine Ability could integrate with the Yama Hall, replace the manifested wall of the Yama Hall, and strengthen its power. The Yama Hall could leave the void and return to the present world, existing as a magical tool in battle.

His Yama Heavenly Son’s true body was also not at its peak, unable to absorb external power, and had also lost Black Impermanence, with the Judge of Life and Death also losing an arm…

He still should transform soul robes with his Seamless Divine Ability and drape them over the body of the Yama Heavenly Son.

With the peak state Yama Heavenly Son’s true body, draped in soul robes, holding the Yama Hall in one hand and the Horizontal Vertical Knife in the other, that would be his strongest state.

But this battle had been fought to the last, the Iron Wall had shattered, the soul robes had disappeared.

The Yama Heavenly Son’s true body had only barely manifested.

Although the Ten Thousand Changes Divine Ability could supplement all power, it had its own limits, and the power used to remedy and refine the Void Divine Ability had been almost consumed…

He actually had many reasons.

But how could he, Qin Zhizhen, accept these reasons?

Was the reason for being unable to exhibit his strongest state not also because he had lost in the previous exchanges?

Those consumptions were not actively yielded by him, but were step by step forced out in the contention of each knife and each sword.

He had indeed lost!

Unwillingness to face failure meant never having the possibility of winning back.

At this moment, lying on the ground, his breath declining, compared to the flowing, colorful Jiang Wang, there seemed to be a difference between immortal and mortal.

He was just a failure, looking at his opponent like this.

This time he no longer laughed.

He slowly said: “After he defeated Wei Yu in Xiyang City, he went to Wuguan to test his sword again. I blocked him at the edge of the Wei River and made a same-realm agreement with him. He just broke through to the Inner Mansion on the spot to fight me. I asked him why he was so stubborn…”

You couldn’t distinguish whether his speaking “slowly” was because it was difficult to speak, or because he was serious.

People could never see Qin Zhizhen reveal pain.

Like a reef welcoming the surging current, eternally silent.

He just continued like this: “He said that someone had climbed step by step from the abyss of despair, moving forward all the way, and that kind of glory illuminated him, so he did not want to retreat again.”

Qin Zhizhen kept his promise before the battle and retold that battle at the edge of the Wei River: “I gave him time to see his sword array… that was indeed a sword that illuminated heaven and earth.”

That guy, who hated to change his name to “Downward,” actually said he didn’t want to retreat again.

That guy, who was always lazy in front of him, who always had an indifferent expression no matter what glory he achieved, actually said in front of others, “That person’s glory illuminated me.”

“After?” Jiang Wang asked.

“His sword was absolute at the Wei River, and I beat him to the bottom of the Wei River.” Qin Zhizhen replied. Regarding that battle, he neither concealed nor embellished.

“I think he should not have died.” Jiang Wang said.

Qin Zhizhen did not seem to plan to anger Jiang Wang, especially in his current state.

So he said: “Yes. I did not kill him.”

Jiang Wang looked at him: “I see battle intent in your eyes. Perhaps you are unwilling about this battle today. If you had challenged me during the Outer Mansion, I would have spared you once from death.”

You spared my friend once, and I will also spare you once.

He spoke very calmly, like describing an established fact.

This tone was exactly the same as when he said to Qin Zhizhen on the day of the selection race, “Wait until I defeat you, then I will ask you again.”

Only after such a grand victory, no one would again doubt his confidence.

And for Qin Zhizhen, speaking.

In fact, from the beginning, he had not doubted this confidence.

From the very start of the selection race, contending in momentum, intent, and force, he had never underestimated Jiang Wang.

Because after witnessing that sword that illuminated heaven and earth forward, he had once said: “Just entering the Inner Mansion has such killing power. If I give you some time, in the Inner Mansion, you have the qualification to contend for second.”

And at that time, Forward said: “You now have the qualification to contend for second.”

He asked: “Who is first?”

Forward said: “Just that person who illuminated me forward. First in the Eastern Domain, Jiang Qingyang.”

Because of the weight of that sword, he was not angry, but treated that sentence very seriously, truly taking the never-met Jiang Wang as an opponent. Only then did this battle, which started from the selection race and continued until now, occur.

At this moment, facing Jiang Wang’s sentence, he should have been angry.

But for some reason, there was no emotion of anger.

For a true strong person, this was the most terrible thing! It represented that his inner heart also admitted that Jiang Wang had the qualification to bypass him once during the Outer Mansion!

How could this be?

Qin Zhizhen tried hard to find unwilling and indignant emotions.

Struggled to say: “If from the beginning I had gone all out…”

He fell silent.

Because at this moment, he suddenly realized.

At that edge of the Wei River, that person who had defeated the successor of the ancient flying sword still struck a sword at him at that time!

This sword was the absolute champion!

“Strive ceaselessly amidst the boundless waves, and with a single fist, dominate the tides!”—Qing Dynasty, Huang Zhongze, “Ascending Bei Gu Lou”

Saw this poem in a chapter comment yesterday, liked it very much.

Just right, I just casually wrote a sentence that I wasn’t satisfied with… Hehe, quickly use it up.

(End of Chapter)