Chapter 918: All Swords Must Bow
Chapter 918: All Swords Must Bow
Amid the crowd's stunned and incredulous murmurs, Li Qing’s gaze drifted up to the circular, transparent arena suspended in the sky.
Inside, the two combatants, Wan Zailai and Pei Qingshan, had already clashed.
Pei Qingshan showed no mercy, immediately manifesting a Verdant Wood Grotto-Heaven to crush Wan Zailai.
But Wan Zailai remained utterly unfazed. In a flash, his form split from one into two, then two into eight...
By the time the Verdant Wood Grotto-Heaven fully materialized, the arena was filled with over ten thousand copies of him.
"Myriad Swords Convergence!"
Wan Zailai roared. His countless clones, their faces grim and solemn, transformed in unison, their very bodies becoming swords that slashed down upon the Verdant Wood Grotto-Heaven.
A rain of sword light descended, exploding in a blinding flash.
In an instant, Pei Qingshan's body was annihilated by the torrent of sword light, reduced to nothing but dust.
Before he could even begin to reform, any newly generated flesh was instantly obliterated by the relentless blades.
The onslaught of swords was endless, a storm without end.
Under the assault, the Verdant Wood Grotto-Heaven trembled violently, teetering on the brink of total collapse.
"I yield! I yield!"
Pei Qingshan's frantic cry echoed through the heavens.
A flash of white light enveloped him, and he was ejected from the arena.
He reappeared outside, disheveled and shaken. The anger on his face had been replaced by stark terror.
"My thanks for the match," Wan Zailai said, withdrawing his swords as the thousands of clones merged back into his body.
He stood proudly in the air, looking down upon the cultivators of Yilü Prefecture, his white robes whipping in the wind.
Pei Qingshan’s swift defeat had taken everyone by surprise.
Furthermore, the sheer terror of Wan Zailai's endless storm of swords lingered.
The crowd had yet to recover from the suffocating pressure of his attack.
So much so that no one even thought to blame Pei Qingshan for his loss.
The entire scene fell into a dead silence.
"If anyone disputes this, step forward!"
"My blade will answer any challenge!"
The arrogant voice of the handsome, white-robed youth echoed across the skies of Yilü City.
Overwhelmed by his sheer presence, not a single cultivator dared to step forward and accept his challenge.
After all, everyone knew Pei Qingshan's strength. Not even a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage could have defeated him with such ease.
"Perhaps only a Soul Transformation cultivator could subdue this man."
The thought flashed through the minds of every cultivator present.
But the Soul Transformation cultivators of Yilü Prefecture were either within the One Heart Immortal Sect or away at the front lines.
And even if any were present, they would likely be too proud to face Wan Zailai.
A Nascent Soul cultivator fighting a Golden Core cultivator was already considered bullying.
A Soul Transformation expert fighting a Golden Core disciple...
The word 'bullying' wouldn't even begin to cover it. No Soul Transformation master could stomach such a dishonorable act.
Besides, if they were to lose...
They would become the laughingstock of the entire Five Elders Association, a mere stepping stone for Wan Zailai’s rise to fame.
With their minds racing, the cultivators on the ground remained silent.
For a time, they could only watch as the white-robed youth flaunted his power from above.
"It seems Yilü Prefecture is truly devoid of talent!"
Wan Zailai declared with a contemptuous sneer.
"Young man, it is best not to be so arrogant."
Just then, a cold voice cut through the silence.
It instantly drew the eyes of every cultivator, both in the sky and on the ground.
All eyes turned to a figure rising slowly into the air—a cultivator of breathtaking, androgynous beauty.
"My name is Li Qing!"
He announced, clasping his hands in a salute before a beam of white light drew him into the arena.
"Oh?" Wan Zailai’s eyes narrowed.
Accustomed to being proud and arrogant, he was naturally displeased to be admonished like a junior by someone who appeared even younger than himself.
"Early Nascent Soul stage?" A dangerous light flickered in Wan Zailai's eyes.
"I won't even use the power of my Grotto-Heaven," Li Qing said with a dismissive wave, his tone utterly arrogant yet his expression perfectly serious. "I can suppress you with one hand, fighting at your Golden Core level."
At this, it wasn't just Wan Zailai whose face darkened.
A great uproar erupted among the cultivators of Yilü Prefecture watching from below.
"I thought Wan Zailai was arrogant, but this Li Qing is on another level!"
"This Brother Li... I don't recognize him. Is he from Yilü Prefecture?"
"Of course he is! Why else would he stand up for us? Yilü Prefecture is vast and full of talent. He must be one of those hidden masters!"
...
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Wan Zailai, however, let out a sinister laugh. "Excellent. I simply cannot wait to see you torn limb from limb by my myriad swords."
Before his words had even faded, he unleashed his ultimate killing technique.
"Myriad Sword Art!"
As before, over ten thousand clones instantly filled the arena.
But unlike the Myriad Swords Convergence, this was no simple slash.
Instead, each and every clone formed a hand seal, unleashing a unique sword art.
The sky was instantly set ablaze with the multicolored radiance of countless sword techniques.
Phantoms of countless swords, each with a unique design, materialized one after another.
Then, with a collective shriek like the roar of a dragon, they all shot toward Li Qing.
The sword lights tore through space itself, sending tremors through the air. Fine cracks even began to appear on the transparent walls of the arena that contained them.
Below, the cultivators of Yilü Prefecture stared wide-eyed at the overwhelming spectacle.
"So this is Wan Zailai's true power?"
"It's too much! I fear even a Soul Transformation master would fall to such an attack!"
"Who is this Wan Zailai? To be this powerful at the Golden Core stage... what will happen when he reaches the Nascent Soul realm?"
...
At that moment, everyone present gasped in profound awe.
They were all certain that the unknown cultivator, Li Qing, would be utterly defeated by this Myriad Sword Art.
But before they could even feel a pang of pity for him, they heard a new sound cutting through the endless shriek of swords.
Li Qing’s resonant voice rang out, clear and powerful: "You may have a million sword arts..."
"...but before me, all swords must bow!"
His voice wasn't loud, yet it effortlessly suppressed the cacophony of the blades.
And in that same instant, a scene unfolded in the celestial arena that left every cultivator below utterly stupefied.
The countless sword techniques, which had been surging toward Li Qing like a thousand dragons of light, suddenly began to slow as they neared their target.
Finally, they came to a complete halt just before him, revealing the phantom forms of countless different blades.
"Hm?"
Li Qing swept his gaze over them.
And then, as if against their will, every single one of those countless blades trembled under his gaze and lowered its tip in submission!
"Go!"
Li Qing commanded softly.
The thousands of sword phantoms instantly turned, reversing their direction.
They flew back towards Wan Zailai, who stood frozen in utter disbelief, still trying to comprehend what had just occurred!
Just as Wan Zailai was about to be torn apart by his own ultimate technique, a flash of white light enveloped him. The next moment, his figure vanished from the arena.
He reappeared on the ground below.
But now, no one paid him any mind.
The eyes of every cultivator present were fixed, in stunned silence, on Li Qing.
(End of Chapter)
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