As Jiang Wang unleashed the one-sword strike from Tilt Mountain, its might collided with the mortal realm, shattering the ghostly mist that enveloped Yan Zi. It broke through her blood-painted face and ripped through her bat-like wings, its momentum like the tearing of dry rot.

The keen edge of this single sword gleamed brightly before the amassed ten thousand.

The grand armies of both the Qi and Jing camps witnessed it with perfect clarity.

This one sword cleaved a boundary between east and west, ran vertically from north to south, and instantly annihilated a person-demon who, even within the Outer Building realm, could be considered a formidable power.

A universal terror seized the crowd.

On the Qi country’s side, the people finally grasped, with a newfound intuition, the so-called “unprecedented and eternal strongest Inner Mansion combat power” that Lin Xian had spoken of. They comprehended the Inner Mansion limit, surpassed in a way that defied imagination.

If today’s killing strike was like this, what style, what spectacle, did he display that day when he slew ten thousand evils, carved flesh, and severed heads?

Lin Xian, who had witnessed that battle personally, was truly blessed!

Xie Baoshu’s face remained impassive, yet his heart ached with a bitter discomfort. Although, during his time in Linzi, Uncle Xie Huaian had repeatedly urged him to reconcile with Jiang Wang at the earliest opportunity, his heart harbored its own pride and a multitude of grievances. When he learned of Wen Tinglan and Yan Fu’s engagement, he had casually taken the opportunity to bully Jiang Wang a little, only to find himself repeatedly bullied in return…

He had been visited while lying in the imperial hospital. He had been blocked on the great street and mocked to his face…

He, a dignified Heaven’s Chosen of the Outer Building realm, was inferior to Jiang Wang in renown, in title, in official position… For these and many other reasons, a bellyful of anger festered within him concerning Jiang Wang, yet he could not give free rein to his hands.

He felt truly stifled, as if choked by a heavy weight!

His presence on the Star Moon Plain this time was also to formally establish merit and seek a title.

He had already envisioned it: once he held great merit in hand, with name and title bestowed upon him, he would again encounter Jiang Wang on the great street of Linzi. Then he would provoke him openly and give him a beating, a beating so resounding that it would shake the whole city…

He would make the world know that Linzi still had its Xie Baoshu!

But today, he suddenly realized… it seemed that even if they truly came to blows, he might not necessarily win.

A sense of panic, suppressed, arose.

A whole-body itch, suppressed.

Yet he could only restrain himself.

Within the Jing country’s camp, a young Heaven’s Chosen with a green gourd hanging from his waist said, “If a great war erupts, this person must be killed first!”

This voice simultaneously resonated in the ears of several Heaven’s Chosen.

The speaker was none other than Xu San, the renowned figure known for his romantic phrase, “Peach blossoms must accompany green plums.”

He considered the problem purely from the perspective of winning or losing the war. A Heaven’s Chosen like Jiang Wang, possessing an invincible posture, could too easily create an advantage in a localized battlefield. If not dealt with early, the variables introduced by such a Heaven’s Chosen would be exceedingly difficult to control in battle.

Wang Kun, an official serving on the Mirror World Platform, immediately responded, “Brother Xu speaks wisely. In a combined army battle, killing the most prominent figure, Jiang Qingyang, first is precisely how one chops the flag and seizes momentum!”

The single sword strike that fell upon the Star Moon Plain stirred ripples far beyond the immediate battlefield.

Even the general platforms situated at the eastern and western extremities of the Star Moon Plain, though distant, could not ignore this brilliant sword.

Though it was Inner Mansion power, it already hinted at a world-defying posture.

“Did you see it?” asked Lian Jingzhi, the Great Pillar Country of Xiang country.

Standing not far behind him was his daughter, Lian Yuchan, also the most talented cultivator of Xiang country’s younger generation. At present, she merely held a guard duty, stationed at the general platform.

Lian Jingzhi had brought her this time simply to let her observe.

“I saw it,” replied Lian Yuchan, her face like a melon seed, exquisite.

She added, “I saw it very clearly.”

She was a figure of picturesque beauty, yet wearing a helmet and armor, she also exuded a sharp, cold killing aura.

Lian Jingzhi said softly, “When you can unleash a sword like that, I can rest easy and remove my armor.”

Lian Yuchan pursed her lips slightly, not speaking a word, but the twin swords hanging at her waist… both emitted a resonant hum.

From the remote eastern and western fronts, waves of response emanated.

Above the eastern command platform, Fang You, who commanded the troops of Xu country, couldn’t help but lean forward slightly, “Is that Jiang Wang?”

“That is Jiang Wang,” said Madam West Ferry, her voice cold. “Possessing such strength, he deserves his great name. Among our Rong country’s young people, truly none can reach this level.”

“He is already recognized as the foremost Inner Mansion cultivator of ancient and modern times; his opponents are no longer limited to his peers,” Fang You shook his head, speaking with deep meaning. “Perhaps in not many years, it will be us old fellows comparing ourselves to him.”

“You say ‘not many years’…” Madam West Ferry’s words hung in the air. She suddenly turned her head, looking towards the battle array before her, her face filled with terror!

Fang You also lost color abruptly.

They both perceived it: a terrifying power… descending!

Precisely at the point where the Heaven’s Chosen of the Qi and Jing great camps confronted each other, where Jiang Wang’s one sword had ended the life of the reveal-faced person-demon…

Upon that clearly delineated boundary line.

The reveal-faced person-demon, whose blood face had collapsed and dissolved, whose bat wings had broken, whose entire body had begun to shrink…

From the position of her heart and mouth, a silver-white bullet suddenly leaped out.

In an instant, silver light shone violently, ten thousand paths of intense radiance!

All who gazed upon this scene were struck with a brutal intensity, forced to close their eyes.

Not a few soldiers even bled from their eyes.

And in the eyes of cultivators who surpassed the ordinary, this silver-white bullet, as it leaped up and within the suddenly released intense light, transformed into a silver divine dragon. It coiled on the ground, then rolled up the reveal-faced person-demon, and rushed straight into the sky!

Finally, only a silver-white bright light could be seen, shining in the sky. It was the brightest light in the high heavens, even surpassing the sunlight, and it grew smaller and smaller, farther and farther…

That silver-white bright light then gradually clarified and became closer and closer.

First it ascended to the high heavens, then it folded back from the dome of the sky!

Until… within people’s sight, that bright light was already clear enough to discern its concrete image—

That was a long sword, already formed and without a hilt, its tip pointing downwards, directed precisely towards Jiang Wang’s position… falling.

Above the long sky, there was a sword cry.

It actually sounded like thunder moving from the nine heavens.

The bright white sword light flew with incredible speed, centering on the long sword that had flown in, spreading across the entire sky.

It looked like silver electricity dancing in disarray.

The dome of the sky was a canvas that could be arbitrarily smeared, and sword energy was a leaping, ever-moving bookmark.

Sword energy burst forth, as if an electric net spread across the entire sky.

Amidst terrifyingly sharp howls, it became denser and denser, more and more rampant.

Thus forming a sea of sword light.

From the dome of the sky, a sea of swords poured down.

Falling upon the mortal realm, just like that!

The bright white sea of sword light occupied the sky, pouring down mercilessly.

The soldier-evil generated by the confrontation of the ten thousand great armies was all suppressed by several *zhang*!

Only endless sword light was falling.

Just like…

The sky collapsing!

The sky collapsed, the entire dome pressing down.

The sky opened a mouth, and this sea of swords, like the water of the heavenly river, poured down with Jiang Wang as its center! And with it, covering this battlefield of nearly ten thousand people.

What kind of powerful being, without a word, unleashed this killing move?

For the first time, Jiang Wang thought of the first person-demon, Yan Chunhui, whom Yu Beidou had once spoken of.

Even the strongest True Monarch in the present world, Yu Beidou, when truly facing Yan Chunhui’s flying sword, could only rely on blood rebirth. What more could he, Jiang Wang, do?!

When he killed the head-severing person-demon, Yan Chunhui did not make a move. When he killed the ten thousand evils person-demon, the flesh-carving person-demon, Yan Chunhui also did not make a move.

Perhaps the first person-demon’s gaze did not fall upon these lower-ranked person-demons.

So he had come alone to pursue and kill the reveal-faced one.

Unexpectedly, he had poked a hornet’s nest!

One could only say that the timing and fate were thus; fate sometimes seemed to play malicious jokes.

What kind of scene was this?

A sea of swords pouring from the sky, bright white sword light like waves and tides, like an inverted waterfall.

“One might suspect the Milky Way has fallen from the nine heavens!”

Who was behind this matter?

Could it not be a heavenly deity?

This was such a terrifying sword!

Just now, Jiang Wang’s absolute peak Tilt Mountain one-sword strike, beneath this sea of swords, was like a blade of grass in the water, soft and powerless.

Compared to it, so weak.

In this battlefield, where mortal bodies stood, all that could be seen was a sea of sword energy, with nowhere to escape.

Regardless of which country’s Heaven’s Chosen, regardless of which country’s soldier.

Beneath such a sea of swords, all could only feel deep despair.

This was a gap that could not be smoothed over, a heavenly chasm that could not be crossed.

Who could fill a heavenly chasm?

When the sky collapses, who can not die?

At the juncture of life and death, who can be without fear?

At this moment, Jiang Wang stood suspended in mid-air, having just severed the reveal-faced person-demon. Before he could even compose himself, he encountered this sword.

Although his cloak was bathed in fire, his five Mansions shining simultaneously, he, like everyone else covered by this sea of swords, was completely without the power to cope.

Beneath the pouring sea, ants could not withstand.

A thousand could not withstand, ten thousand could not withstand, even a hundred thousand were still only ants!

Unable to withstand!

To withstand was to die!

But Jiang Wang moved upwards.

He did not say a word; he simply lifted his sword upwards. Towards that sea of sword light, he advanced alone.

This was the juncture of life and death, his only choice.

He had had no other choice from the beginning!

Behind him, the frost cloak billowed, a fierce flame waved around his body, and in his eyes, the immortal red-gold light seemed to solidify into a divine sculpture.

Green clouds scattered one by one, and five groups of blazing light sources were embedded upon his body.

He knew he could not escape, but he would not await death.

If death was a fixed end, if what he truly faced was the pouring sky, he would still call upon this pouring “sky”… to witness his sword!

Jiang Wang soared through the air, a figure writing a large “person”.

The character “person” stood between heaven and earth.

Long Xiang Si trembled incessantly.

He stabbed one sword towards the sky!

One sword alone welcomed the sea of swords.

This was a young man not yet twenty, charging towards an unmatchable power.

This was an Inner Mansion cultivator, bravely challenging the power of a collapsing sky.

In a battlefield where ten thousand horses were silent.

Amidst the silence of the ten thousand great armies.

Alone, he rushed against the high sky, so firm, so dazzling.

This scene, after ten years, a hundred years, would not be forgotten by those who were present.

The one who could still raise a sword in a moment of hopelessness was a true hero of the world.

Suddenly, an angry roar echoed through heaven and earth: “Jiang Qingyang! What do you desire to do? Chong Xuan Sheng goes with you!”

In the army array of the Qi country camp, a fat, large body suddenly swelled up, transforming into a giant fifteen or sixteen *zhang* tall, shaking the sky and the ground, roaring like thunder. With one step, he leaped into the high sky, rushing straight towards that sea of swords.

This sea of swords appeared too unexpectedly and displayed too overwhelming a power.

Facing life and death on a narrow path, suddenly encountering the power of a collapsing sky… this was a heavenly chasm that could not be crossed by wisdom or strategy.

At this moment, anything that could be utilized was incapable of coping with this sea of sword energy.

Chong Xuan Sheng was absolutely intelligent, and thus he understood even more that the situation was impossible.

He simply abandoned all thought, surrendering his choice to the impulse of his heart. He manifested the Law of Heaven and Earth, pulling up the sky.

Jiang Wang goes to his death, and I too will go to my death!

A figure in black armor, holding a heavy sword, followed by his side without a word.

From the beginning, wherever Chong Xuan Sheng went, she followed.

Without asking the reason, without caring about life or death.

If the task was to sever a high mountain, then she would sever a high mountain; if it was to sever a sea of swords, then she would sever a sea of swords.

Even if it was futile, even… if no corpse remained.

With Chong Xuan Sheng!

“The whole army forms array! Listen to my command! Gather near the arrowfall positions!” Li Longchuan, with a jade belt adorning his forehead, flipped his hand, and the Hill Mountain Bow was already drawn to full moon. With a twang of the bowstring, ten feathered arrows flew out rapidly, falling respectively in ten different positions, precisely corresponding to the ten camps on the Qi side.

“I shall lead all gentlemen to fight to the death!”

He wanted to integrate the power of the army array in the shortest possible time, to engage in that death struggle.

With the fame gained after the Crushing City Marquis as proof!

Almost all the Heaven’s Chosen from the Qi side’s camp surrendered their control over the army array, entrusting it all to Li Longchuan to integrate.

“The world knows Stone Gate Li!”

This phrase had not been empty talk from the beginning!

And Yan Fu, without any grand words, even on this battlefield of fierce warfare and danger, remained the same gentle, tranquil noble son.

He drew forth a storage box and casually tossed it to Lin Jie beside him, only leaving a single sentence, “Use it as you please,” then already flew up into the high sky.

Lin Jie, the Heaven’s Chosen from Yi country, was momentarily stunned, somewhat dizzy from being hit by this box full of talismans. But his hand, for some unknown reason, was already gripping a long knife, and he himself involuntarily flew towards the sky.

He had learned countless orders from the Legalist school, yet none could explain his impulse at this moment.

Perhaps those who are about to die are destined to act foolishly?

A voice, very unpleasant to hear, rang out—

“What can allow the younger generation to exclusively claim such glory!”

And there was Bao Bozhao, the eldest son of the North Square Earl, standing in mid-air, raising a finger to wipe his brow, immediately opening his “Heaven Eye”!

The Heaven Eye had two openings. One eye clearly saw the slightest detail, and the other… was for divine retribution.

From the vertical pupil in his brow, a divine light shot straight into the sky, a “divine retribution” to illuminate the sea of swords!

Divine retribution was, of course, impossible to penetrate such a terrifying sea of sword energy, but how could he, Bao Bozhao, allow a crowd of younger Heaven’s Chosen to die before him?

If it spread back to Linzi, who knew how that little brother, always good at irritating people, would mock him!

Chong Xuan Zun, looking down at this battlefield, he, Bao Bozhao, had come here, surely to be a model for the young Heaven’s Chosen of the Eastern Domain!

He was already a step slower than Jiang Wang, and he could not be slower than others.

The military-born Chao Yu was even more straightforward. She flicked her horsetail whip, drawing an arc like a knife edge. Her person had already soared upwards, her red-eyed, green-faced general-ghost leaping forward, a sharp, absolute long knife hidden behind it…

She charged towards the sea of swords, waiting only for the moment to draw her knife and carve a line in this thieving sky!

Also an Outer Building realm Heaven’s Chosen, Xie Baoshu shook even more like a huge pen, his messy hair flying, singing a wild song in a high voice—

“Heaven has not severed the bitterness of my mortal world, this bitterness should also be known to Heaven!”

With the matter at hand, how could the limelight still be stolen by that fellow surnamed Jiang!?

He wielded a bright mirror to drive his wild song, displaying his strongest Dao technique. Shaking the giant pen, from below upwards, he drew a stroke across the sky, directly facing that sea of swords…

He wanted to write the outcome himself!

No one was willing to fall behind.

Especially Lei Zhangan, with his arrogant nature.

He had lost to Jiang Wang in strength, lost to Jiang Wang in cultivation, could he also lose in courage?

At the juncture of life and death, who would not throw a punch!

Thus, one punch stirred a sea of thunder, colliding with that sea of sword energy with a sea of lightning.

Although the gap was vast, like a pond against a vast ocean.

But the momentum of his punch was grand, without the slightest weakness.

The Nine Heaven Thunder Derivation Technique, replacing divine retribution with thunder punishment. After completely controlling the thunder realm technique, his punch was truly… “When a person sends forth a killing machine, heaven and earth reverse!”

Lin Xian, Tian Chang, Wen Lianmu… even Gao Zhe.

All the Heaven’s Chosen from the Qi country camp, at the sudden juncture of life and death, following Jiang Qingyang’s solitary figure rushing against the sword, were all stimulated to display their blood nature, successively rushing into the high sky.

No one hesitated, no one shrank back.

They had come with a bit of spirit, thinking of establishing merit on the battlefield, thinking of competing with the Heaven’s Chosen of Jing country.

So…

The Heaven’s Chosen of various countries collided with the sea of swords!

Ants shaking their arms dared to support the sky!

Among all the Heaven’s Chosen who followed closely behind Jiang Wang’s charge into the heavens.

Only Wang Yiwu was the most arrogant.

He gripped his fist against that sea of swords. Even without seeing the master of the sword, not knowing who it was, he unleashed a punch. Soldier-evil boiled in mid-air, condensing into a countless number of soldier-horses, their armor scales and knife patterns all concrete…

Then, a thousand armies and ten thousand horses charged towards the blue sky!

One person alone became a ten thousand-man army.

He only said, “If I do not die today, the day I come, I will kill you!”

One who could display such a sky-collapsing sword, who could directly pour a sea of sword energy into the mortal world, was surely an existence standing at the absolute peak of the super-ordinary.

Although the Heaven’s Chosen bravely rushed to kill, everyone was merely fighting to the death.

Only he, Wang Yiwu, actually uttered such a mad word against the powerful being behind this sea of swords!

Truly arrogant to the extreme.

Unlike the performance of the Heaven’s Chosen on the Qi country’s side.

On the Jing country’s side, as soon as that bright white sword light returned, a calm voice transmitted into the ears of each Heaven’s Chosen—”Now, listen to my command.”

As that sea of sword energy poured down.

That voice also spoke almost simultaneously: “This is the power of a True Monarch. There is no need to show bravery. His Excellency Shuai is in the Ten Thousand Crane Temple and can arrive here in a moment. What we need to do is delay as much as possible!”

“Each unit listen to orders! Just walk the array rehearsed last night. Xu San leads the army to the Qian-five position, Wang Kun leads the army to the Dui-four position, Pei Hongjiu leads the army…”

Yet in a moment, everyone’s position was arranged clearly, not one missed.

The entire battlefield situation, with nearly fifty thousand troops, seemed to be all within this person’s heart.

And as soon as his command was given, no one had any objection.

Because the speaker at this time was none other than Chen Suan, the currently recognized strongest Outer Building cultivator in Jing country, originating from Penglai Island!

Following his command, these twenty units of Jing country moved rapidly, each unit rushing to its designated position, instantly forming a simple and stable defensive great array.

With the power of these fifty thousand people, they hoped to survive for one more breath as the sea of swords poured down.

Even if it was just for one breath, it could very well be the dividing line between life and death.

From the nine heavens above, the sea of sword energy poured down. These young Heaven’s Chosen, regardless of camp or country, no one gave up, and one could say that all displayed the demeanor that a Heaven’s Chosen should possess.

However, whether the Heaven’s Chosen of the Qi country camp chose to attack, or the Heaven’s Chosen of the Jing country camp chose to defend…

Facing this vast and grand sea of swords, they were, in fact, equally powerless!

A thousand people were ants, ten thousand people were ants.

Waiting to die was to be an ant, struggling, how was it not still an ant?

It was said that to welcome was to die, to avoid was to die, to escape was to die, to fight was to die.

Only a True Monarch could control a True Monarch; everything beneath the Derivative Path was but flying dust!

That sea of sword energy spanning ten thousand li roared and surged incessantly, the bright white sword energy like waves of the heavenly river, seeming to pour down from the nine heavens above, into the mortal world.

One could see with their eyes that this “heavenly river” would soon “extinguish” these ants.

Especially Jiang Wang, who lifted his sword and stood at the forefront, was less than a hundred *zhang* from the sea of swords, destined to be reached in an instant.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, standing before everyone.

A short beard, hair held by a hairpin, wearing martial clothes of an unseen material.

Not particularly tall, but standing in the high sky, firm as a pillar supporting the heavens.

The mad wind pressed down by the sea of swords actually could not even stir the corner of his clothes!

Behind him was a crowd of Heaven’s Chosen charging forward; before him was the roaring, pouring sea of sword energy.

His voice was flat, but contained endless majesty, subtly surging: “Today I witness the martial struggle of my Eastern Domain’s Heaven’s Chosen. My heart is greatly comforted. I shall use this fist to cheer for you all!”

Thus, one fist struck towards the sky.

At this time and moment, in this situation and scene, this person could, of course, only be the Great Qi’s Military God, Jiang Mengxiong!

His fist was simple and plain, the peaks of his fist falling in an orderly manner, rising and falling clearly.

Raised upwards, it was like a soaring dragon, like a majestic high mountain, rising from the vast land with the pulling up of earth veins! Proudly possessing the momentum to collide with the heavenly gate.

As soon as his fist moved, a terrifying fist wind had already swept through the long sky in advance, causing the ten thousand li of flowing clouds to all lift upwards!

The howling fist wind expanded rapidly, extending like a mountain range, welcoming… half of the sea of swords.

With Jiang Wang as the boundary line, the sky within the Qi country camp’s range was all supported by Jiang Mengxiong’s single fist.

While on the Jing country camp’s side, the sea of sword energy continued to pour down…

“Ah… You are truly too stingy!”

Amidst a helpless sigh, Yu Que, wearing Two Instruments martial clothes, suddenly appeared, drawing his sword with a backhand!

His words were very casual, his posture of appearance was very casual, and his posture of drawing the sword was also very casual.

But a sword light immediately rushed into the sky, evolving into a long rainbow, stretching horizontally across the sky! Sword energy continued to fly rapidly, rising again into a cloud of sword energy, layer upon layer of clouds connected, raising sword energy into a sea of clouds, and the sea of clouds rushed towards the sky!

This sea of clouds… firmly resisted the other half of the pouring sea of sword energy.

Still with Jiang Wang as the dividing line, that grand sea of sword energy directly faced was half Jiang Mengxiong, half Yu Que.

Jiang Mengxiong deliberately controlled his power, only precisely blocking half of the sea of sword energy, which was actually more effort and required more skill than facing the entire sea of sword energy with one fist. But he clearly enjoyed it, rather consuming more energy than giving Yu Que an opportunity to idly watch the play.

Each person manages their own affairs!

Seeing Yu Que finally make a move at this moment, his fist suddenly advanced upwards.

He raised his head to look at that sea of sword energy, and angrily shouted: “Dare to make a move against my Great Qi’s Heaven’s Chosen, Yan Chunhui, are you here to seek death today?!”

Boom!!!

The fist wind mountain range collided with the sea of sword energy.

The entire heaven and earth dimmed!

That scene was as if heaven and earth had already united, and chaos had suddenly returned.

At least on this Star Moon Plain, there was a feeling of the end of the world descending!

Indescribable, impossible to depict.

Terrifying power swept through everything, including people’s perception.

Until—

Again, that giant sound like a heavenly drum was heard.

The short darkness was torn apart.

People could thus see that the entire bright white, surging sea of sword energy actually moved upwards several segments, visible to the eye…

The “sky” that had collapsed down was pushed back!

This was the Derivative Path True Monarch Jiang Mengxiong; this was Jiang Mengxiong’s fist!

Who could not be moved?

“…Who are you?”

An old voice fell down.

“Yan Chunhui… Who is that?”

These two questions fell successively.

Like an elder who had not yet awakened, muttering foolishly.

That sea of sword energy covering the sky suddenly vanished into emptiness.

It seemed that the mythical scene of the sky collapsing and the heavenly river pouring down was merely an illusion.

The sky was clear and the clouds pure, ten thousand li peaceful.

People stretched their eyes to look far away, only seeing a silver-white light point, flashing in the air, already gone.