Zhenwu Mountain.
Unprecedented excitement.
Countless martial artists from across the land rushed in upon hearing the news, traveling thousands of miles.
After all, this time was different from all the others.
Both contenders were peak-level experts of the current era.
One was the Heavenly Sword Daoist, who had made a dazzling debut and displayed his might on several occasions. Half a year ago, he even slew the Heartseeking Sword, shaking the world.
Everyone knew his strength far exceeded the fourteenth rank on the Heaven-Man List. Some even claimed he could now firmly hold the title of the number one sword cultivator in the world. It just hadn't been officially recognized yet, as the Daychaser Sword King was still a terrifying figure with long-standing prestige that wasn't easy to shake.
And the other was the Blade Demon.
Twenty years ago, he appeared out of nowhere and slew the third-ranked on the Heaven-Man List at the time. Now, after two decades, he reemerged and once again caused a global sensation—one after another, top-tier cultivators from the Heaven-Man List had fallen to his blade, and not a single one had forced him to use a second strike.
A duel between such two peerless figures was naturally something the world eagerly awaited.
Some said—
This might very well be the Blade Demon's fiercest battle yet. There might not be a greater fight afterward.
Many had already seen through the Blade Demon's intentions.
He was building up momentum.
Through each battle, he adjusted his essence, energy, and spirit to peak form, then sought to face the strongest opponent and use external pressure to push his blade path to an unprecedented realm.
And that strongest opponent—
Some believed it to be the Daychaser Sword King, others believed it was the Heavenly Sword Daoist.
Therefore—
Zhenwu City had never been this bustling.
Many people arrived early, skipping the previous battles entirely just to wait here.
For the Zhenwu Sect, this was both a blessing and a curse.
The downside, naturally, was that the crowd was vast and chaotic. There was no guarantee that some troublemakers, or even infiltrators from the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance, weren't among them.
But the advantages were just as significant.
Top experts from around the world had gathered, further accelerating Zhenwu City's growth. Additionally, it brought a surge of fresh blood to the Zhenwu Sword Stele and the Myriad Dao Tower.
Some powerful individuals would naturally want to visit these two world-famous places of enlightenment.
And that provided nourishment for Ning Qi.
Ning Qi, of course, was aware that the Blade Demon was soon arriving to issue his challenge.
But inwardly, he was completely calm.
He was getting closer and closer to the Heaven-Man Realm—his breakthrough would likely come within the next two months.
Still—
Even if the Blade Demon came before he broke through, he wouldn't panic. With his current cultivation, no one in the Heaven-Man Realm could be his match.
In fact, he was rather looking forward to it.
He'd heard much about that demonic strike of the Blade Demon and was curious to witness it himself.
This Blade Demon was undoubtedly a rare genius of the blade path in this generation.
Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the Blade Demon last appeared.
Countless people waited eagerly.
Their anticipation gradually turned to restlessness.
"Why hasn't the Blade Demon shown up yet?"
"Could our predictions have been wrong?"
"Be patient. I've studied the timing of the Blade Demon's challenges—they're roughly every half month, but not always exactly. Perhaps he gained some insight in the last battle and needed more time, or the travel distance varies."
Speculation arose in everyone's minds.
On this particular day—
In the Seeking Dao Courtyard.
Ning Qi was using heaven and earth energy to forge his spirit with the great mental grindstone. Suddenly, he stirred, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
He stepped outside—and in the next moment, he had silently left Zhenwu Mountain.
Far away in the surrounding mountains—
An old man with disheveled hair and bare feet slowly walked forward.
His gaze was unfocused, as if immersed in some deep thought. His pitch-black pupils held an indescribable demonic aura.
"All things can become a blade? Leaves are blades, flowers and grass are blades, stones are blades—even clouds can be blades? But not in form—only if their spirit reaches it. All things can embody blade intent…"
The Blade Demon stroked the blade hilt at his waist—it had shortened again.
His gaze grew clearer.
He realized—
He had reached the territory of Zhenwu Mountain.
He was about to draw his blade.
But suddenly—he paused.
Though separated by thousands of zhang—
His eyes landed directly on the Sword Stele.
The Zhenwu Sword Stele wasn't particularly tall. Ning Qi had chosen an ordinary boulder, only a few dozen zhang high.
But now, in the Blade Demon's eyes, it shone like the moon amid fireflies. Even if it had been only three inches tall, he could have seen it clearly.
The Blade Demon stood still.
His pitch-black eyes grew even deeper and darker.
He was looking at the Sword Stele—or rather, sensing the sword intent within it.
Unconsciously—
A demonic blade intent began to swirl and rise from the hilt at his waist.
It circled around the Blade Demon. If not for a restraining force, it might have soared skyward and clashed with the sword intent within the Zhenwu Sword Stele.
Yet even so—
The Sword Stele, thousands of zhang away, suddenly stirred.
Sword cultivators who had been meditating nearby were startled awake by the disturbance.
They looked around in confusion, unsure of what had happened.
They stared at the Sword Stele surging with sword intent, deeply shaken and full of speculation.
"Could it be that the Heavenly Sword Daoist has gained new insight into the sword path?"
"I heard that when the Heartseeking Sword came to Zhenwu Mountain, the Sword Stele also surged. Is it another formidable enemy this time? Could the Blade Demon be here?"
Many considered the possibility.
One after another, they stood up and looked around.
But across the sky and earth, they saw no trace of that terrifying figure—and so their confusion only deepened.
Who was the Blade Demon?
If he didn't want to be seen, no one could sense him.
Except for Ning Qi.
He had sensed the disturbance in the Zhenwu Sword Stele immediately.
Now, he appeared silently, his presence as quiet as the void.
From the shadows, he observed the Blade Demon.
His eyes were filled with a touch of curiosity.
This Blade Demon lived up to his reputation. From that surging blade intent alone, it was clear—it was unparalleled, laced with a strange demonic aura, as if the blade had gained life.
"Still… he's half a step away from the realm of 'all things can become a blade.' Looks like I was right—he's challenging the strongest under heaven to push his blade intent to the extreme and use that to break through to the Martial Sage Realm?"
Ning Qi was starting to feel eager.
This was a powerful opponent—someone like the Heartseeking Sword wasn't even worthy of carrying his shoes.
Perhaps dueling such a powerful foe would yield gains that helped him shorten the time to break through to the Heaven-Man Realm.
Since the Blade Demon had come—
He would likely issue his challenge soon.
But suddenly, Ning Qi froze.
The Blade Demon slowly withdrew his gaze.
The blade intent surging from him also gradually receded.
His dark pupils now gleamed with joy—like "a drink shared with a kindred spirit," or "a worthy rival finally encountered."
He grinned.
Silently.
It had been the battle between the Heavenly Sword Daoist and the Heartseeking Sword that inspired him to pursue enlightenment through combat.
Originally, he had planned to reserve the Daychaser Sword King as his final battle.
But now that he had seen the Zhenwu Sword Stele—he realized he had severely underestimated the Heavenly Sword Daoist.
"This sword intent is unmatched. Even the demonic blade intent of my magic blade falls half a step short. Only such an enemy is worthy of my full strength!"
The Blade Demon was consumed with passion.
But he had already made up his mind to retreat.
Not out of fear of the Heavenly Sword Daoist—
But because this battle must not be wasted in confusion or haste.
He was not yet in peak condition.
He needed to bring his strongest self to face this unparalleled sword cultivator he had never met.
That was respect—for both sides.
He turned.
And walked away.
No one knew that the Blade Demon had already come.
Ning Qi looked slightly startled.
He had already prepared for a battle—but didn't expect the Blade Demon to turn away.
Then, he smiled wryly.
In the next moment, he understood the Blade Demon's reasoning.
He gave a quiet laugh and didn't take it to heart.
It didn't matter when the Blade Demon came.
If he didn't challenge him now, and returned two months later—by then, Ning Qi would be on a completely different level.
"But… just now, did he look this way because he sensed me? Or was it just instinct?"
Ning Qi shook his head lightly and left as well.
No fight? Then let it be. Returning to cultivate was just as fine.
No one knew—
That the Heavenly Sword Daoist and the Blade Demon had already crossed paths in secret.
At this moment—
As the Blade Demon left and the blade intent subsided, the Zhenwu Sword Stele also returned to calm.
Many people were left confused, unsure of what had just occurred.
All the speculation was mere conjecture, with no way to confirm anything.
Helpless, they returned to their meditation at the Sword Stele.
…
Several days passed.
The Blade Demon still hadn't appeared at Zhenwu Mountain—
Even those who had remained composed started to feel unsure.
"What's going on? Has the Blade Demon gone back into seclusion?"
"Or… do you think there's a chance the Blade Demon just doesn't want to challenge the Heavenly Sword Daoist right now? Everyone knows that even though he's ranked fourteenth, his strength is way beyond that."
This speculation was abruptly silenced two days later.
Everyone froze.
Because—
The Blade Demon had reappeared.
But not at Zhenwu Mountain.
He had challenged the twelfth-ranked Thunderblade Master.
This time—
Someone finally endured the Blade Demon's first strike.
But only just.
They lasted one extra strike.
The world was in an uproar, buzzing with excitement.
Everyone realized—
The Blade Demon had deliberately skipped the Heavenly Sword Daoist.
What did that mean?
It meant the Heavenly Sword Daoist held greater significance in the Blade Demon's eyes than even the Thunderblade Master.
"That much is obvious—it means the Blade Demon is challenging opponents from weakest to strongest."
"But do you think he planned to skip the Heavenly Sword Daoist from the very beginning, or was it something he decided after reaching Zhenwu Mountain?"
"I think… it happened after he got to Zhenwu Mountain."
Some people noticed clues.
First was the spontaneous eruption of sword intent from the Zhenwu Sword Stele a few days ago.
Second was the unusually long gap between this challenge and the last—far longer than before.
With these clues in hand—
The loyal followers of the Heavenly Sword Daoist were instantly fired up.
"Looks like the Blade Demon has already decided to make the Heavenly Sword Daoist his final opponent! That proves that in his heart, the Heavenly Sword Daoist is the true number one sword cultivator!"
Naturally, the supporters of the Daychaser Sword King didn't accept this.
Both sides argued fiercely, but no one could convince the other.
And so—
While everyone continued following the Blade Demon's challenges, a new anticipation emerged: who would the Blade Demon ultimately choose as his final opponent?
To this—
Ning Qi merely shook his head and chuckled.
To him, none of this mattered.
He knew the Blade Demon wouldn't be coming anytime soon, so he focused on tempering his spirit, aiming to step into the Heaven-Man Realm within the next two months.
…
Time slipped by quietly.
Another half-month passed.
The Blade Demon challenged the tenth-ranked Proud Sky Sword on the Heaven-Man List.
The top ten experts were clearly in a different league.
The Blade Demon unleashed five strikes, and Proud Sky Sword returned three, but in the end, he was gravely injured and forced to retreat.
The Blade Demon's momentum grew even more dazzling.
All eyes were on him.
Each duel between peerless experts was a feast, keeping the entire Great Yan Dynasty in a constant boil.
At this point—
Only four remained: the eighth-ranked Divine Wind Blade Master, the sixth-ranked Sword Sect of Canghai, the fifth-ranked Daychaser Sword King, and of course, the Heavenly Sword Daoist.
Four battles left at most.
But up until now, no one had seen the Blade Demon go all out.
Everyone was filled with anticipation.
Yet beneath this frenzy, the shadow war between the court, the Demonic Sect, and the Southern Alliance never ceased.
If you counted the Zhenwu Sect, that made four powers locked in struggle.
But aside from Ning Qi, the Zhenwu Sect could barely compare to the other three.
At the peak of a thousand-zhang cliff—
Golden palaces layered atop one another, dazzling in splendor.
One after another, powerful martial artists gathered here—all high-level figures from the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance.
On the Demonic Sect's side, the three Deputy Sect Leaders were all present, though Qin Yun was nowhere to be seen.
As for the Southern Alliance, aside from the Southern Alliance Saintess and Granny Snake, there were two others of equal rank to the Saintess.
One was a bald middle-aged man, muscles so massive they looked like boulders. His face was a wall of compressed muscle.
The other was an elderly man with a silver crown, dignified and authoritative—clearly the leading figure among the Southern Alliance representatives.
At the moment, however, the atmosphere was tense and silent.
Finally—
It was Xiang Tianxing who broke the silence. His voice was deep:
"Everyone, we haven't gathered here today to sit around in silence. We all know the current situation. If anyone has thoughts, speak freely. What do you say, Elder Lanhe?"
Elder Lanhe, the silver-crowned old man, nodded slightly at Xiang Tianxing's words.
"That's right. The Great Yan court has clearly caught wind of our plans. Lately, they've been hounding us like rabid dogs, slowing down our progress in cultivating the Blood King Gu. We need a response."
Everyone's expressions turned grim.
Everything had gone smoothly after their alliance—
But somehow, word had leaked, and now the Great Yan court was watching them closely.
"It's all the fault of that damn Zhenwu Sect. I only regret not wiping them out years ago! Once our Martial Sage is born, we must slaughter the entire Zhenwu Sect to ease our fury!" Ghostmask said coldly.
He'd been simmering with frustration lately.
He had once pinned high hopes on Qin Yun—
Only to discover his divided loyalties, wavering when it came to the Zhenwu Sect.
And now, the Zhenwu Sect had become a major threat.
Their spies confirmed that the information had been leaked to the court by Zhenwu.
The bald, boulder-like man was named Blackrock. His voice rumbled like thunder in a jar.
"But how did the Zhenwu Sect find out about our plan? Deputy Sect Leaders, you'd better investigate yourselves carefully. We can't afford carelessness in this great endeavor."
Hearing this—
Ghostmask and Lin Xueshuang's faces both changed dramatically.
Whether the Southern Alliance or the Demonic Sect, both had sprawling influence.
Since they could gather intelligence on others, it was only natural others could find clues about them.
This implicated both Qin Yun and Lin Ruhua—
But Blackrock didn't say it outright, leaving them a bit of face.
Xiang Tianxing was secretly pleased, but this wasn't the time to cause division. He smiled and eased the tension:
"Still, this might not be a bad thing."
As everyone turned to look at him, he smiled knowingly.
"Think about it. The fact that the Great Yan court is pressing us this hard—doesn't that show they're afraid? That they're feeling insecure? They fear us. They fear we're about to give rise to a Martial Sage!"
"And if we think further—
Doesn't that imply the Great Yan Martial Sage is even weaker than we imagined?
A century ago, our Sacred Sect tested him—he was already far less fearsome than he'd been two centuries prior.
Now, another century has passed. He might be even more washed up!"
"So all we need to do is endure a little longer. Once one of our factions produces a Martial Sage, the tide will turn dramatically!"
Everyone nodded slowly.
There was some logic to this reasoning.
They'd been trying desperately to gather information on the Great Yan Martial Sage—
But the court guarded the truth so tightly that not even a whisper leaked.
And the tighter the seal, the more it proved the court was hiding weakness.
The Southern Alliance Saintess, Lan Yiyi, spoke coldly:
"But if things keep going like this, neither the Blood Emperor Gu nor your Sacred Pills will be finished anytime soon. We're already looking at delays twice as long as planned.
The longer it takes, the more unpredictable it becomes.
What if that Great Yan Martial Sage recovers during this period? What then?"
"We must remember—we're racing against time."
Elder Lanhe nodded in agreement.
"That's right. We need a workable contingency plan."
The Demonic Sect leaders exchanged thoughtful glances.
The Blood Emperor Gu required the Blood King Gu, which in turn needed refined human blood essence.
The Sacred Pills, however, demanded large quantities of Exotic Beast Inner Cores.
Given the court's relentless pursuit, the Blood Emperor Gu project was hit harder.
Ghostmask slowly spoke:
"How about this—we help you finish refining the Sacred Pills first.
Once our Sacred Sect births a Martial Sage, we'll immediately put all our efforts into helping you complete the Blood Emperor Gu.
That way, we both win."
As his voice fell, silence blanketed the hall.