Chapter 1164: The Sword of Justice |
The Sword Saint Demon Emperor's gaze was unwavering.
"I hope to face you giving your all. Even if I die, let me die witnessing the highest peak of the sword."
Tang San only smiled. "You think that just because I wield a blade of grass, I cannot touch upon the pinnacle of the sword? You are sorely mistaken. If you still regard the sword as something external, then it means your Heart Sword has not yet matured. I once told you what the sword is. Do you remember? What is the sword?"
As he spoke, the smile faded from his face. He stepped forward into the void, the grass sword in his hand cutting lightly through the air.
There was no blinding aura, no thunderous pressure. Yet in that instant, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor felt a brilliant, pure sword intent sweep over him—majestic and overpowering, yet subtle and refined. For a heartbeat, it was as if heaven and earth had flipped , and all evil had vanished from the world.
Involuntarily, he cried out, "The sword is justice!"
The Red-Crowned Divine Sword rose to meet the strike of the Sword of Justice.
A clear, ringing sound echoed. Tang San remained floating, utterly unmoved. The Sword Saint Demon Emperor, however, was forced back down, driven into the ground like the tip of a sword.
But the next moment, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor soared aloft once more. This time, his eyes held only excitement.
"This Sword of Justice… It is not enough to have a just heart. You must seek justice, you must understand what justice means to the world, and you must enforce that justice. Only then can your Heart Sword be perfected—is that right?" he asked earnestly.
Tang San smiled faintly. "Exactly so. And I hope that you will spend your life doing just that."
"And beyond that?" the Sword Saint pressed, impatient.
Tang San shook his head. "This sword alone is enough to benefit you for a lifetime. The Sword of Sacrifice, I once used to bring back my wife; it is no longer needed. If I were to use it now, it would cut apart the plane itself. And the Sword of Judgment… is something I cannot wield here at all. In any case, all you need is to understand this Sword of Justice. Not only will it last you a lifetime, it will also carry you to greater heights. The foundation of the Sword of Justice lies in three words: a clear conscience. To master it, you must constantly question your heart, you must keep asking yourself, Am I truly just?"
The Sword Saint Demon Emperor drew a deep breath. "I think I understand. But… you will not kill me?"
Tang San smiled softly. "Why should I? The Endless Nymph Emperor merely lacked skill and could not withstand my blow; that was all. But you have withstood my power, and most importantly, you have withstood the Sword of Justice. This proves that not only is your cultivation sufficient, but your consciousness is clear and your heart is pure. So now, do you concede?"
The Sword Saint Demon Emperor reversed his sword, holding it hilt-upward, and bowed slightly to Tang San. "I concede."
Tang San bowed politely, and the Sword Saint Demon Emperor descended, landing back on the ground. But he did not glance at Tang San again. Instead, he sat cross-legged where he stood, entering meditation at once. For him, this battle was over; he had more important things to ponder.
Tang San's gaze turned to the nymph side once more.
Seeing that the Sword Saint Demon Emperor had not been slain, the other Emperors had a mix of different and complex expressions.
The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's gaze was deep and dark. This was the very situation he had feared.
A human. It was truly a human. Jin Miaolin had been a disguise, the disguise of a human. And this human, in the heart of the Ancestral Court itself, under the watch of all the Emperors, had entered seclusion, passed his tribulation, and ascended as an Emperor. Moreover, after reaching ten thousand meters, he was clearly no ordinary Emperor.
Tang San's gaze fell upon the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor.
The Endless Nymph Emperor and the Adamant Nymph Emperor had already fallen. Next in turn was this one.
"Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor, please step forward."
The binding force of the rules upon it vanished, and its gaze sharpened. Though what had just transpired defied all expectations, it was still an Emperor, still one of the strongest beings in the world, still a clan leader and city lord for countless years. After a moment of shock, it regained its composure.
According to the rules of Conquering the Heavens, as long as one could defeat the challenger, everything would end. Tang San could not rest; he would face each Emperor in turn, and so the earlier challengers did not need to defeat him outright. They just had to wear him down, paving the way for those to come.
Five-colored radiance instantly flared behind her, the cycle of the Five Phases brought forth. Her domain was identical to Nan Xuewei’s, but its power was leagues beyond.
Harmonious and perfect—the Five Phase Domain!
Soaring into the sky, the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor shone like a resplendent five-color jewel, dazzling in its brilliance.
"Jin Miaolin, a human. Who would have thought? And what exactly are you trying to achieve? Even if you force us to compete and defeat us all, do you think that will make you master of the Ancestral Court? Your divine book can reinforce the rules, and you can make us fight you now, but after that, what? Do you really think you can keep us under control all by yourself?"
Tang San looked at the rainbow-hued glow surrounding it and smiled. "When did I ever say I want to control you? I never sought to control anything in this plane. In fact, when I broke through to the tenth order, I made an agreement with the planar ruler. When I recover my past cultivation, I will leave this plane. This place was never my home to begin with."
The Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor was taken aback. It understood every word he spoke, yet together, they made little sense.
"This place is not your home? Then where is your home? Where did you come from?" It asked, curiosity overcoming its composure.
Tang San smiled faintly. "It wouldn't help you even if I told you. When I leave this plane, everything pertaining to me will fade from your memories. As for whether I can suppress you all after Conquering the Heavens… well, you'll have to wait and see. I have lived in this world for twenty years, and I've come to understand its ways. I abhor your treatment of humanity, but I have learned some things from you as well. When I leave, I hope you can coexist with humans in peace. In order to ensure that, there are some things I must do."
"What is it you intend to do?" the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor pressed.
Tang San simply gestured politely. "You will know soon enough. For now, please go ahead."
As he spoke, golden rings rose beneath him one after another—soul rings, all golden!
Even on his former Douluo Continent, where a martial soul with soul rings was the main form of cultivation, such a sight was something no living being had ever seen. But Tang San had once acquired ten such divine soul rings, and after ascending to the peak of this plane, he had regained his power in full quality, although not full quantity yet.
"Very well!" The Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor's eyes narrowed. The five-phase divine radiance burst forth from behind it. A crystal sphere appeared in its hand, shining dazzlingly with five-colored light. A pillar of rainbow light surged forth toward Tang San.
Five Phase Disruption!
All elemental energy that had been gathering in the air after the tribulation vanished instantly. The only elemental energy was that belonging to the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor, and all that energy was focused into that pillar of light!
The Holy Dragon Spear appeared once more in Tang San's hand. With a circular sweep, he drew a Mysterious Circle of Heaven.
The five-colored divine light struck the circle… and vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea. To the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor's divine consciousness, Tang San appeared like a boundless black hole that simply devoured its attack.
The next moment, space froze. It was as though the world itself had crystallized. Tang San was enveloped within the Five Phase Domain, sealed like an insect in amber.
Within that crystalline world, the Rainbowglaze Nymph Emperor vanished, becoming a stream of five-colored light. It flashed before Tang San, divine radiance crashing down upon him.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu stood nearby, watching the battle. But even when her beloved seemed to be in immediate danger, she showed no sign of alarm.
On her lips was only a faint smile.
In her eyes, there was only Tang San.
the poing team's Thoughts
penguin: ok so here’s the thing: the pronoun for the rainbow emperor changes to the female pronoun at one point. So… another nymph emperor turns out to be a babe. And once more, it’s super relevant to the plotline, except for the part where it isn’t ಠ_ಠ also, checked the wiki and the manhua representation looks more like a diamond than anything else, so we just kept the nonhuman pronoun.