Amidst the showering light, Yan Chunhui looked down at the sword piercing his heart, understanding that everything was over. For a moment, he felt a pang of loss, yet he smiled… a look of happy remembrance on his face.

Scenes flashed before his eyes: the Sword Lord drunk, inviting the moon in blissful abandon, his flying sword traversing the starlit river… many breathtaking sights, as if hinting at regrets that could be redeemed.

A divine ability, “Wild Goose Flies South.”

To reverse karma.

Indeed, the rain of light abruptly ceased, reversing. His body seemed to coalesce from light, quickly taking form—

But then it disintegrated!

Streaks of light and flying rain, a path without end.

The moment Jiang Wang attained sainthood, the karma was too immense, drawing the attention of the entire world, his sword bearing the weight of an era… Such karma, he could not reverse!

Even if he could have reversed the karma… it would still have been unstoppable, still defying heaven’s will.

He already knew this, but he still had to struggle. For someone like Yan Chunhui, who had held onto his convictions for a millennium, he wouldn’t shed a tear even when facing his coffin; only after knocking a few muffled sounds from within the coffin lid would it truly be his final farewell.

Finally, he offered a relieved smile, stepping onto his flying sword, which was momentarily bathed in light, and looked at Jiang Wang: “My path is still insufficient, while your path remains lofty and distant. May I ask what message you wish to convey at the Yellow River today?”

Above his head, the starry sky receded further and further, and the moon grew increasingly ethereal.

His dream was the moon in the water; his person, a reflection in the water.

His gaze seemed to descend from the starry dome to the mortal world, and for the first time, he felt a warmth akin to human life.

This was, of course, not his own tenderness.

“This is a dying man’s curiosity, or perhaps a farewell sentiment…” he said. “If you deem it unnecessary, Lord Jiang, you need not speak.”

Jiang Wang held the long sword, which rested in Yan Chunhui’s heart, as if it were the final bridge between two seekers of the Dao.

He, too, felt the essence of this swordsman from an old era, sensing the heart that would never turn back.

“It’s still the old words from outside the Valley of No Return,” he said. The self-oblivious human-demon was now vanquished, the Valley of No Return flattened, and the sword stele outside the valley could indeed be removed.

However, the matters concerning the Valley of No Return, and the intent to purge human-demons, would not cease there.

Yan Chunhui chuckled, “Lord Jiang, does your sword domain extend beyond merely the Valley of No Return… Does it already encompass the entire world?”

Yan Chunhui wanted to know why he had lost, why he was dying, or perhaps he had already found the answer.

Jiang Wang slowly replied, “The heavens operate with constancy, the sun and moon with order. Just like the stars filling the sky, my sword is merely one aspect of that order.”

“Those who indulge in evil cannot walk under the light of day!”

Yan Chunhui recited the inscription on that sword stele, and at this moment, from a perspective of self-awareness, looking back at this eternal decree that suppressed the Valley of No Return, he experienced a unique feeling.

Back then, he only felt time racing, years pressing, and that it was difficult to start anew, his sole focus being to move forward. Looking back now, he realized the sun that had shone in the Valley of No Return wasn’t truly warm, because he had never genuinely enjoyed it.

“This ‘under the light of day’…” he said with a smile, “Does it mean you are the daylight, acting on behalf of heaven?”

“I dare not compare myself to the sun or moon,” Jiang Wang replied, standing composed. “But those who indulge in evil, such as human-demons—”

“Upon hearing my name, they shall flee my path.”

“Upon encountering my sword, they shall bow their heads.”

In truth, wasn’t this what the earliest Five Knights of Maplewood, those fledgling youths, sought? To use the swords in their hands to punish evil, promote good, and eliminate all injustice in the world.

At that time, he believed he would be the most righteous and formidable Officer Jiang in the Judicial Office.

How could he have known then that even Ouyang Jie, the Director-General of the world’s Judicial Offices, couldn’t eliminate all injustices or eradicate every evil? Oh, and he was even intruded upon by the Divine Knight, brazenly locked in the main hall, watching officers come and go throughout the building, only to be discovered after the Central Escape from Zen.

Back then, his eldest brother wanted to be a town chief, protecting the town’s people and ensuring their peace and prosperity; his second brother wished to charge into battle, whipping his horse and leaping forth to defend their home and country…

Later, they all grew up.

“Lord Jiang, your aspirations are lofty; that is a more distant galaxy than the place I gazed upon,” Yan Chunhui said, with a look of envy and a sigh. “But do you know, Lord Jiang, that where there is good, there must be evil? Evil cannot be eradicated. Throughout the ages, the sea of sin has surged relentlessly, never ceasing for sages or saints.”

Jiang Wang replied, “Indeed, I know that where there is good, there must be evil; those who live cannot be exhausted, and evil cannot be eliminated. However, when heaven and earth shine brightly, there must be purity and defilement. Years flow like water, but how can there be no light and shadow?”

“To punish evil and promote good, illuminating the mortal world—this is the teaching of ancient virtuous laws.”

“Let those who do good act as their hearts guide them, and let those who do evil have something to fear!”

His gaze swept past Yan Chunhui, lifting slightly as if raising a mountain. When his gaze fell, a stone stele carved with sword marks descended from the sky.

*Boom!*

Endless night, thousands of miles of thunderous light.

As if the heavens had split open, this sword-carved stele, entwined with thunderous light, resembled a mountain, a colossal sword… as if held by the hand of a deity, used to prop up the mortal world!

It thus crashed through the firmament, tore apart the night sky, and stood as a mountain of the mundane world, towering before the River-Observing Platform!

The thunderous light suddenly flared, illuminating the carved inscription. The strokes remained sharp, the sword energy still rampant, and the words were still those from the beginning.

A single gaze moved a mountain; a single word, eternally engraved.

Jiang Wang declared, “Today, let this resound; let it resound once more!”

The stele itself speaks, speaking for eternity.

“To make those who indulge in evil throughout the world have something to fear…” Gongsun Buhai, one-armed and holding his sword, turned to look up, unable to help but exclaim, “Excellent!”

Yan Chunhui’s body had become like a fleeting light, almost entirely dissipated. He asked, “What if the daylight doesn’t shine?”

Jiang Wang calmly replied, “My heart will illuminate it.”

“What if heaven’s will doesn’t prevail?”

“My sword will enact it.”

Yan Chunhui felt a profound regret!

What he saw before him was not Jiang Wang, but a fleeting vision of his own vibrant youth. Who has not been young?

Ultimately, three thousand years of withered age!

“A thousand years of solitary intent, regretfully traversing the mortal world. To meet your path, I am filled with joy!” he proclaimed solemnly. “We swordsmen are born for the sword, and we die sounding our swords—truly magnificent!”

The cold moon hung high, though it seemed to shimmer as if reflected in water.

But from within the moon, a flying shadow passed by—a goose.

Yan Chunhui activated “Wild Goose Flies South” once more!

The sword light beneath his feet streaked horizontally away.

His figure disintegrated into light.

The night that had enveloped the Divine Land finally receded. Tonight’s brilliant stars, though distant, still converged into a starlit river, flowing for Yan Chunhui one last time.

People looked up and saw—

The starlit river traversed the sky, appearing like a single sword.

The synchronized twinkling of millions of stars seemed to turn the world upside down.

The sword originated from the River-Observing Platform, and landed on the Bitter Sea Cliff. Yan Chunhui’s final strike actually plunged directly into the Gate of the Mortal World!

Since the Dusk Drum Academy moved to the Sea of Learning to suppress the Waters of Calamity, this area had become much livelier than before… After all, the Mountain of Books was still revered by Confucianism, and the influence of contemporary prominent schools was far beyond what the Blood River Sect could match. Moreover, with the blossoming Lotus Sacred Realm, cultivators who came here for experience felt an added sense of security.

Even with the Yellow River Assembly, hailed as the “foremost grand event under heaven,” unfolding at its peak on the River-Observing Platform, some people diligently focused on their own cultivation, unconcerned with the world’s affairs.

At that moment, many cultivators still sweeping away evil thoughts in the Waters of Calamity looked up in astonishment to see that the rootless world, which had never known starlight, was suddenly filled with countless stars!

Yan Chunhui’s voice resounded throughout the area: “To raise the sword against the sea of sin, truly these words apply.”

“My self-oblivious flying sword, today bids farewell to the ends of the earth!”

Thousands upon thousands of stars, trailing long fiery tails, poured into the Waters of Calamity, stirring up endless waves.

In an instant, countless evil thoughts were obliterated, vast expanses of turbid water were purged, and the Jade Belt Sea was expanded by several more layers.

“Madman!”

Tantai Wenshu, who had been forced back to the Waters of Calamity after Gongsun Buhai’s decisive killing of Wu Yu, could only rage in vain at the dissipating starlight.

After all, even if He had transcended the sea of sin and attained eternal life, how could He startle a dead man?

The Bodhi Evil Ancestor made no sound; only in the depths of the turbid waters did that terrifying tree shadow seem to spread.

The Waters of Calamity were actually quiet, with only the faint, mournful sobs and laughter of the Primal Chaos Evil Immortal.

Existences like the Three Fiends of the Sea of Sin would not be harmed by Yan Chunhui’s sword.

So, for many people, this sword strike might not have held much significance.

However, Yan Chunhui’s choice to leave this sword strike here held much meaning.

It represented the final sword strike of the flying sword era, unleashed against the sea of sin.

And not… against Jiang Wang.

The solitary moon finally hid, and the sea of stars remained distant.

Specks of faint light fell upon Jiang Wang’s sword edge. He inverted the long sword and returned it to its sheath…

A sword’s hum echoed like thunder. Thunderous light stretched for thousands of miles, momentarily illuminating the sky… and the light remained constant, bringing daylight back to the Divine Land.

The night was no longer seen, and the sky’s light shone upon the stone carving. The River-Observing Platform, unchanged for millions of years, now had a monumental stele.

From then on, anyone ascending the platform to gaze upon the long river would first see this stele and first ponder these words.

Before Jiang Wang’s sword cut through the starlit river, this would have been a great transgression. After he reached the summit of his power, it was merely a small declaration of resolve.

For the chief referee of the Yellow River Assembly to leave a message on the River-Observing Platform was perfectly reasonable.

Looking at the strong, elegant script carved into the stone mountain, Ye Qingyu suddenly recalled… the inscription on the bookshelf in the small building within the Lingxiao Secret Realm—

“My life is finite; how can one who ascends the Milky Way on a raft ever behold the morning dew again!”

Perhaps everyone has their own starry sky.

Yan Chunhui’s boundless Penglai was the dead end of flying swords.

Ye Lingxiao’s distant galaxy was never to be seen again.

And what was the brilliant starry sky that Jiang Wang gazed upon and yearned for?

He had once seen—all youths who were determined to change the world were instead changed by it!

He had also seen—some who swore to change the world merely pushed it from one terrible situation into another, even worse one.

He also understood that many people in this world were living well. Perhaps they didn’t need anyone to interfere.

He constantly self-examined, continuously learned, tirelessly cultivated, and cautiously approached the path ahead, finally able to say today—this world needs to change.

People must no longer be refined into pills, people cannot be used to raise turtles, human-demons cannot sit peacefully in the Valley of No Return…

All humanity shares this sentiment: “Do good deeds, but beware of evil acts.”

Let it begin from this eternally towering sword-carved stone stele before the River-Observing Platform.

Forever shall these words stand! The Unlimited Life-and-Death Arena has concluded. This was the highest-level battle since the Yellow River Assembly began, and whether as the swansong of the flying sword era or as the ascension to sainthood for the Demon-Purging Heavenly Lord, it will undoubtedly be etched into history.

This was also the first battle of peak power and ascension to sainthood in history to be witnessed and appreciated by the entire world. The transformation of day and night was merely the sword being drawn and sheathed; the profound impact of this battle might only be fully realized many years from now.

But at this moment, on the River-Observing Platform, cheers erupted like a surging tide!

Both contestants and spectators cheered for the victory of this match’s referee.

And what he had won was more than just this match, more than just Yan Chunhui.

Only then did Zuo Xiao finally sigh in relief, pushing the flame orb in his palm back through the Heavenly Gate.

It coincided with the return of daylight, as if the sun had been restored to the high heavens.

He looked at Jiang Wang with some satisfaction before turning his gaze to Dou Zhao below the platform: “Seeing that you are unharmed, this old man can finally rest assured.”

Dou Zhao smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: “Many thanks for your concern, Duke! Next time we dine at your manor, please don’t invite irrelevant people.”

Although many people called him impolite, before the old Duke Zuo, he always maintained the demeanor of a distinguished family, as he didn’t even roll his eyes.

Zuo Xiao pointed a finger at him, said nothing, and then pushed open the Flame Gate to depart.

After all, he was responsible for guarding the Heavenly Gate, and although he had temporarily found someone to cover his shift, the price was high. Even with the Zuo family’s immense wealth, he didn’t want to be repeatedly extorted as a fool.

Every little bit saved was a gain; Guangshu was getting married soon, and there would be many expenses… Speaking of which, when would Jiang Wang…?

“Today, he raised the Yellow River, but did not ascend to sainthood *by* the Yellow River,” Hong Junyan remarked, clapping his hands in praise. “His power is self-achieved, and he has proven himself by drawing his own sword! Truly magnificent!”

Wei Xuanche opened his mouth, intending to speak, but was preempted, and couldn’t help but glance sideways.

Brother Hong is still too quick…

Shouldn’t you first release his Yellow River Dao Fruit?

“I have not preached to the world, nor have I authored books for ten thousand generations, so I dare not claim the title of a saint,” Jiang Wang said calmly. “However, among those who transcend, with strength as their ultimate achievement, perhaps my name will be known.”

Hong Junyan merely flicked his large sleeve, melting ice and snow, and the Inner Palace Duel, which had been slowed by time, returned to the current temporal sequence. Bao Xuanjing was still fiercely battling Gong Weizhang, his heart tormented beyond words.

He hoped Master Jiang would win, but not so completely. And the old fellow Mu Fuyao from the Netherworld was supervising this battle; this was truly… the most familiar stranger!

Any slightest trace of the past would inevitably be noticed!

“Lord Jiang!”

Both sides now understood each other’s stances regarding the sword, so Hong Junyan naturally could no longer call him “Brother Jiang.”

More precisely… Jiang Wang would no longer tolerate that address.

He said quite seriously, “Earlier, I discussed with you about helping you find the Divine Knight, and now I have some clues…”

With hands lightly resting on the armrests, he truly was a dignified emperor!

He looked at Jiang Wang and asked, “Would you like to hear?”

Unfortunately, Jiang Wang no longer played along with him, merely stating calmly, “Your Majesty has already seen how I walk my path. Whether you hinder or not, speak or not, it will not change my direction, nor, I imagine, my outcome.”

When the Daylight Stele stood towering over the River-Observing Platform, serving as a declaration to the world, those rats in the sewers would eventually have no place to stand, all returning to their gutters.

He no longer needed to meticulously seek anyone out.

As long as he continued forward, one day his light would illuminate the mortal world. This was the grand path, the course of great destiny.

Time was his friend, and the years were his weapon!

So there were no conditions, no negotiations… whether you chose to speak or not was up to you.

But now, it was Hong Junyan who needed to prove himself!

The Snowfield Emperor’s gaze deepened: “Lord Jiang, your heart in seeking the Dao is truly like iron!”

Jiang Wang looked at him calmly: “Perhaps one battle isn’t enough to establish a name. Without three discourses on life and death, one cannot truly expound a path.”

This was another unexpected response. Hong Junyan paused, then asked, “Which three discourses?”

“I have prepared three discourses, though I do not know who will come,” Jiang Wang said, devoid of murderous intent, yet unstoppable. “Yan Chunhui was the first.”

He was ready to fight three consecutive unlimited life-and-death matches!

Hong Junyan looked into his eyes, wanting to see if this was merely boastful talk—but past instances had countless times proven that Jiang Wang always kept his word.

Perhaps someone would come, perhaps no one would. But it was with this determination that he had shouted, “Supreme at the Peak!”

Hong Junyan remained silent for a long time, then said, “Lord Jiang, perhaps you no longer need it, but I still wish to contribute to the world and to the Yellow River Assembly.”

He pressed on the armrests, leaning slightly forward, creating an imposing stance: “I believe… Emperor Zhao Hongyi of Song is highly suspicious!”