Outside Splendid Radiance Hall.
Everyone stared at Yang Cheng in shock.
His words were like a clap of thunder that shook the heart. All could feel the overwhelming momentum within them, vast and boundless.
In comparison, Li Lingfeng's so-called "gentleman's sword" sounded narrow and petty.
"Father Emperor, these sword principles were all taught to me by you. I merely summarized and organized them a little," Yang Cheng said, seizing the moment to give Emperor Qian Yuan face.
Emperor Qian Yuan naturally understood his intent and grinned from ear to ear.
"His Majesty is truly a genius, able to merge the Sword Dao with the Dao of Heaven," Yun Liyue said with a smile. "Such a Sword Dao, blending the way of kingship and dominion, can only be understood and wielded by the Heavenly Son."
"Hahahaha!" Emperor Qian Yuan laughed loudly.
Li Lingfeng's expression, however, had grown increasingly dark.
"Never thought His Highness the Crown Prince would have such a deep grasp of the Sword Dao," he said. "Then I must ask—why do you claim my Nine Shadows Sword Art is flawed at its very root?"
If anyone else had belittled his art so, he would have slapped them without hesitation. But this was the Crown Prince of Great Zhou. Even if dissatisfied, he couldn't lash out recklessly—he had to find grounds to discredit him.
"The Nine Shadows Sword Art focuses too much on technique, neglecting the essence of the Sword Dao," Yang Cheng replied. "As Father Emperor once taught me, the path of the sword is not built in a day, nor is it a mere craft. The sword is heart, will, energy, and strength, all united as one. Only then can it be wielded freely, like a fish in water. From this, it's clear that sword forms must unify, not scatter."
Li Lingfeng stared deeply at Yang Cheng, then turned to Emperor Qian Yuan. "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is indeed gifted and shows high perception in the Sword Dao."
"But in my view, he places too much weight on words and debate. This may actually hinder his cultivation of the sword."
"If Your Majesty truly wishes me to be his teacher and guide his Sword Dao, then I must ask your permission to show him here and now what true Sword Dao is."
"This…" Emperor Qian Yuan hesitated.
Over the years, Li Lingfeng had roamed the world. Only recently had he come to Great Zhou. Upon hearing of his presence, the emperor invited him, hoping he could guide the Crown Prince in the Sword Dao.
Though Emperor Qian Yuan and Cheng Junyi were skilled, they weren't specialists. Compared to Li Lingfeng, they were far behind.
Thus inviting Li Lingfeng seemed necessary.
"Your Majesty," Li Lingfeng said, "a sharp blade is forged through grinding. A flower in the greenhouse will never become a towering tree."
"If you hesitate to let the Crown Prince face hardship, then please seek another master, for I cannot guide him otherwise."
"But rest assured, I will suppress my cultivation to match his level. I will not let him be harmed."
On the surface, his words sounded like concern for Yang Cheng.
But Yang Cheng knew exactly what kind of man Li Lingfeng was.
This future founder of Sword Pavilion was small-minded, vengeful, a true hypocrite. Now, cloaked in prestige, the world did not see his true face and was fooled by his false image.
Yet in the future, when martial artists from the myriad heavens descended upon the Wasteland Realm, this man led Sword Pavilion to betray their homeland, becoming dogs of the outsiders and persecuting countless Wasteland cultivators.
[Grave danger! The host has drawn the eye of Li Lingfeng, ancestor of Sword Pavilion.]
[Li Lingfeng is the grandfather of Sword God Li Tingxiao, far stronger than him. His cultivation has reached Refining God.]
[Now he clearly intends to suppress the host. If he succeeds, the host's prestige will be shattered before all.]
[The host has spent nine years carefully building a foundation in Great Zhou. If it crumbles, the consequences will be dire.]
[Host must thwart Li Lingfeng's scheme and not let him succeed.]
[Mission reward: One of the Supreme Seven-Star Sword Sheaths.]
"Pavilion Master Li speaks the truth," Emperor Qian Yuan said. "Crown Prince, you've heard his words. In the future, be more cautious with what you say."
"As for now, let Pavilion Master Li show you the Sword Dao, so you may understand that there is always someone stronger, and beyond the sky, another sky."
Yun Liyue frowned slightly.
Though Li Lingfeng carried a grand title, she already had little goodwill toward him.
From Madam Wang and Li Tingxiao's behavior alone, one could glimpse the bigger picture.
Still, whatever his character, his sword mastery was beyond reproach. So she kept silent.
She reasoned that before so many witnesses, Li Lingfeng wouldn't dare truly harm Yang Cheng.
Otherwise, even as a Sword Dao Martial Sovereign, he wouldn't leave Fengtian City alive.
"Your Majesty is wise," Li Lingfeng said.
Li Lingfeng's face broke into a smile.
Then his gaze shifted to Yang Cheng. "Your Highness, so you won't feel unconvinced, let's not use any true qi. We'll only use the body to wield the sword. How about it?"
Yang Cheng said, "That's fine."
"You strike first," Li Lingfeng replied.
Many people exchanged strange looks.
This scene felt familiar.
Earlier, Li Tingxiao had also told Yang Cheng to attack first.
But soon, they dismissed that thought as nonsense.
After all, Li Lingfeng was the Sword Emperor. He couldn't be compared to Li Tingxiao.
"Then I won't hold back," Yang Cheng's eyes burned with intent.
Li Lingfeng was no Li Tingxiao.
This was a Sword Emperor.
At his peak in his past life, Yang Cheng had only reached Martial Saint.
Crossing swords with Li Tingxiao meant little to him.
But facing Li Lingfeng carried a very different meaning.
Yang Cheng wanted to know just how far he was from the Sword Emperor.
If Li Lingfeng used his full cultivation, Yang Cheng knew he stood no chance.
But now, with neither using true qi, Yang Cheng thought he might still have an opening.
The Sword of Humanity!
He didn't use the Northern Sea Sword Codex. Instead, he chose the Sword of Humanity.
Its intent stood even higher than the Sword of the Son of Heaven.
This sword transcended worldly hierarchies, pursuing the unity of 'Heaven and Earth are born with me, all things are one with me.'
Beneath the Sword of the Son of Heaven, there were also the Sword of the Common Man and the Sword of the Vassal.
The Sword of the Common Man focused on the courage of an ordinary man.
The Sword of the Vassal stressed the art of ruling.
The Sword of the Son of Heaven embodied authority over the realm.
The Sword of Humanity embraced all three.
It taught: "The principle of the sword is the principle of humanity. To wield the sword is to cultivate the heart."
With the way of man, it shattered the obsessions of all methods. Balanced, neither rigid nor weak. With the name of man, it set the edge of Heaven and Earth, merging all things as one, gathering the hearts of all living beings.
Outwardly, the Sword of Humanity resembled the Sword of the Son of Heaven.
Both were vast, grand, and unrestrained.
Yang Cheng thrust his sword, and it surged forth like ten thousand troops and horses charging at Li Lingfeng.
Li Lingfeng's mastery of the Sword Dao was extraordinary.
When it came to the sword, he truly knew what he was seeing.
The moment Yang Cheng struck, his eyes flickered with surprise.
But he remained calm and blocked steadily.
Clang!
The sharp ring of their blades clashing echoed outside Splendid Radiance Hall.
What shocked the crowd was that Yang Cheng had not been knocked back.
And this was only the beginning.
Clang, clang, clang…
Their swords grew faster and faster.
Yang Cheng's strikes came like raging seas, each blow carrying overwhelming force, as if to drown Li Lingfeng entirely.
Yet Li Lingfeng stood like a towering mountain, unmoved no matter how the waves crashed against him.
"Your Highness's Sword Dao truly gives me quite a surprise," Li Lingfeng said calmly while parrying. "But it relies too much on force and lacks humility. That isn't the true essence of the sword."
Though his words sounded composed, inwardly he was deeply shaken.
His own Sword Dao had long reached great achievement.
But Yang Cheng's Sword Dao felt nearly no weaker than his own.
'I need to test him further,' Li Lingfeng thought.
He couldn't believe Yang Cheng's comprehension was really this high.
Yang Cheng gave no reply. His sword force suddenly shifted. Still bold and sweeping, but now like an army changing formation, striking from all sides instead of only the front.
"Oh?"
Li Lingfeng's eyes flashed with surprise, but soon returned to calm.
"Not bad, the changes are there—but still not enough."
His wrist flicked. His blade slithered like a serpent, tearing open a gap in Yang Cheng's sword force, thrusting straight for Yang Cheng's throat.
Yang Cheng's pupils contracted. He quickly retreated, sword tipping upward at the last instant, barely deflecting Li Lingfeng's strike.
'Sword Dao attainment is one thing, but to truly wield it requires battle.'
Yang Cheng realized his weakness.
Even if Li Lingfeng's Sword Dao was no deeper than his own, he was a Sword Emperor, seasoned by countless duels against peers of his level.
Yang Cheng, on the other hand, had rarely fought such opponents.
When he had, he was crushed outright.
This left him lacking in experience—something only this fight could help him make up for.
"Good reaction," Li Lingfeng said with a nod, as if genuinely impressed.
But inside, gloom weighed on him. His attacks grew sharper.
His swordplay turned swifter, smoother, every strike like a fleeting shadow, unpredictable and traceless.
Now the might of the Sword Emperor fully revealed itself.
Yang Cheng felt the pressure mounting.
"Crown Prince, on the path of the sword, you are still far behind," Li Lingfeng's voice sounded by his ear, like a teacher scolding a student.
Emperor Qian Yuan sighed to Yun Liyue. "Cheng'er's life has been far too smooth. Letting him taste some hardship might not be bad."
Not just him—many around shared this thought.
To Great Zhou, Yang Cheng was born to the Empress, exalted from birth.
Then he displayed unmatched wisdom, named Crown Prince at the age of one, later revealed as the bearer of the Ancestral Dragon Sword Body, and only grew brighter and more dazzling.
His life had known no setback. Always crushing, always sweeping aside.
Now at last, before the Sword Emperor, letting the Crown Prince suffer a little seemed no bad thing.
Yun Liyue smiled faintly and didn't argue, but inwardly she disagreed.
'They say if you can endure hardship, you'll never run out of it. But what's so good about suffering? If it can be avoided, it should be.'
'Most important of all, my son may be noble by birth, blessed with peerless talent and unmatched looks, but he has never been arrogant or harsh.'
'He treats servants kindly and respects the elders worthy of respect.'
'Such a son has no need to taste hardship.'
At the same time, Li Lingfeng, though outwardly calm and in control, couldn't suppress a creeping frustration.
Yang Cheng was proving too difficult.
No matter how he attacked, though he could suppress him, he still couldn't bring Yang Cheng down.
To him, this was unacceptable.
So he decided to draw on harsher means.
Even without true qi, with his mastery as Sword Emperor, he still held techniques of the body that could unleash terrifying power.