The sky grew darker, the air thick with the scent of moisture.
“This sword is called the Zunlong,” Jiang Yu said calmly, seemingly in no rush to engage. He slowly drew his longsword, taking his time to introduce it.
“Uh, are you trying to say that being defeated by this sword would be my honor?” Li Mo suddenly interjected.
“…” Jiang Yu opened his mouth, having indeed thought to say that.
But admitting it now would just be embarrassing.
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to say something,” Li Mo sighed. “The name you chose is just downright awkward.”
Buzz—
The Zunlong Sword trembled slightly.
Jiang Yu gripped the hilt tighter.
What are you listening to him for!?
“Country bumpkin, you don’t recognize the weight of a golden word!”
As soon as he spoke, it sounded like a dragon’s roar, echoing with a majestic aura throughout the inner city. Many felt chills running down their spines and their knees grew weak, nearly bowing down.
However, Li Mo’s fiery Consciousness Soul seemed to ignite like kindling meeting fierce flames, lighting up even brighter. He was undeterred by the pressure and instead stood even taller.
A clash of Consciousness Souls!
Without a doubt, Jiang Yu possessed the Observation Realm at the Ninth Aperture, a higher tier.
Yet he couldn’t press down Li Mo at the level of their Consciousness Souls; instead, he felt like a fishbone stuck in his throat.
Li Mo seized the first word, burying his mind in the Divine Sword of the Celestials, sword in hand, and a sword in his heart.
This sword moved quietly, faster than a deceptive thunder. When drawn, it wouldn’t hold back, just like the time it pierced a king, a sword that shocked the heavens.
Not about superiority, but about life and d*ath!
“Just a reckless fool.”
Jiang Yu’s eyes flickered before returning to calm. Divine light surged from his chest, strands of shimmering silver sharpness entwined around his longsword.
At that moment, a renowned artifact’s sharpness was not weaker than a divine weapon!
The sword’s momentum was perfectly aligned, proudly dominating the arena, ensnaring all directions in its might, leaving nowhere to hide.
Ding—
Sword tips clashed, the turbulent flow of sharp energy sweeping through, shaking the very fabric of space as if it could tear things apart!
Sword light danced erratically, energy surged; to ordinary spectators, it was impossible to discern who held the upper hand.
“Almost forgot, this year’s Qianlong Conference is something else.”
The monk Huai Kong tapped his head and pointed.
The quaking arena slowly calmed down.
Now they could finally see clearly.
Jiang Yu stood firm, enveloped in an aura that felt almost tangible, not a wrinkle in his clothes, exuding the confidence of someone who just swung with authority.
“Ugh, I can’t grasp that swordplay,” Li Mo said, although he remained rooted, his form rocked back several feet, leaving two deep grooves in the ground.
With eight or nine profound skills guarding him, he was still just barely standing at the threshold. His bl**d surged in waves.
“Relying solely on the sword, with my level of swordsmanship, winning against him is nearly impossible.”
To become the top of the Qianlong List, Jiang Yu definitely wasn’t riding on reputation and the royal family’s image.
The True Dragon body was overwhelmingly powerful; every movement exuded dragon might; with the Imperial Sword Bone inside, his sword technique flowed effortlessly and naturally.
Without divine weapons, Li Mo could stand a chance with a hammer; however, Jiang Yu had the Eight Desolation and Six Harmony Seal, ranked first on the divine weapon list. Who knew what kind of strange powers it held?
Unless…
Roar—
The sound of a dragon echoed again, the shimmering longsword piercing through layers of interference.
The Imperial Sword Technique was something Jiang Yu comprehended from the Sword Bone.
“The lofty mountain and flowing water, probably only useful against the Jiang Yu from the last Qianlong Conference,” Ning Que thought to himself.
Standing below the arena, he felt a knot in his throat, fearing he wouldn’t even be able to lift his hand to play the lute, let alone face off head-on…
The moment the Imperial Sword Technique unleashed, Li Mo sensed his limbs shackled by heavy chains, movin’ was a struggle.
The five profound pulses flowed ceaselessly, his eight or nine profound skills reaching their peak as he suddenly shattered the confines, then used a hammer instead of a sword.
Heaven’s will tilted, not as effective as when he wielded a hammer, but suddenly, the already gloomy sky appeared to crash down.
Boom—
A crack of thunder rang out from the dark clouds.
The thunder roared upwards as if it reached the heavens.
This time, neither side held an advantage.
“I think I found a way, but it’s still not enough… Dugu Nine Swords aren’t complete yet.”
Li Mo’s genius brain sparked with inspiration.
But just then…
“Don’t treat me as a grinding stone for refining your spirit; I’m not afraid of breaking your mere mortal weapon,” Jiang Yu seemed to have lost patience, abandoning his thought of letting Ke Mo fall flat.
Buzz—
In his left hand, a seal emerged, and with it appeared an unshakable force from beyond.
The royal fortune of Da Yu!
Jiang Yu’s figure suddenly seemed to rise, giving the impression of towering like a god or demon.
With a single press of the seal.
The heavens and earth seemed to grow larger in an instant.
No, it was Ke Mo himself feeling smaller!
He felt like a mere name lying within a sacred edict, already marked red by the royal brush, and once that great seal pressed down—life or d*ath was no longer in his hands.
What power can be resisted?
Behind Ke Mo, besides the unyielding Great Sage’s divine will, another brilliant moon appeared.
The bright moon shone, slowing down everything around.
Yet his thoughts remained clear, as if immersed in the gentle moonlight.
“Shenshao Dantian!”
The previous oppressive black clouds, having been brewed by the heavenly hammer, were ready to unleash their wrath!
Ke Mo’s aim was to first use the heavenly hammer to conjure the heavenly tribulation, then draw in the Shenshao Dantian Sword!
Boom—
The thundering loudly shook the heavens.
Terrifying energy coalesced into numerous ominous lightning bolts, tearing through the sky, sweeping down below!
How could a mere mortal emperor contend with the heavens?
With a thundering crash, it struck the Eight Desolation and Six Harmony Seal, causing the royal fortune inscribed on it to tremble violently.
“It moved! The Eight Desolation and Six Harmony Seal is shaking!”
“If it loses the divine weapon’s support, could Ke Mo really win with a sword against the Qianlong List’s top?”
“He’s actually pulling off such terrifying swordplay, drawing in the heavenly tribulation…”
Everyone present was taken aback, their minds racing.
First came the aura of royal power sweeping like mountains and rivers, forcing d*ath upon others, then came the divine sword summoning thunder, illuminating everything in pitch black.
This moment could probably determine the outcome…
“Hmph!”
Suddenly, a cold snort echoed from the imperial city.
“Three times invoking heavenly tribulation, does this prince not exist?”
As the voice fell, the gathering thunder was instantly froze, suspended in mid-air.
No matter how powerful the Shenshao Dantian was, its wielder was still Ke Mo, merely someone at the Observation Realm.
He neither connected heaven and earth nor had solidified law bodies.
The thunder that lingered in the void simply ceased to be…
“That voice just now was Lord Qian?” Xie Yiding furrowed his brows.
Du Wufeng, with his straightforward nature, fumed, “Why didn’t he speak out earlier or later? Why is he meddling in this junior’s fight now; it’s utterly shameless!”
The crowd fell silent, watching the situation unfold.
They all recognized that while Lord Qian claimed it was not allowed to invoke tribulations in the Imperial Capital, he was clearly favoring one side.
But regular folks and those from the martial world kept their mouths shut, with complicated looks on their faces. No one dared to speak up against a royal of the seventh realm in the Imperial Capital.
Unless…
“We’re not playing anymore; this old fool is just being a sore loser!” Shang Qin Qing slammed her sunflower seeds onto the ground.
“You shameless scoundrel! Ptooey!” Murong Xiao spat towards the sky and quickly ducked behind the monk Huai Kong.
“Brother Ke, let it go; he’s like this now; just let him win!”
Xiao Qian shouted at the stage.
“Senior Sister Bing, say something!”
“Yeah, we’re not playing with them anymore.”
The group looked toward Ying Bing, only to find her silent, furrowing her brows while a Taiyin divine will floated behind her.
On the stage.
Without the oppressive heavenly tribulation, the might of the Eight Desolation and Six Harmony Seal reared its head again.
“Uncertain Reply… Unyielding Protocol… Dragon-slaying Sword Technique…”
Various techniques came to mind, shining brightly in his thoughts.
Yet even though these sword techniques reached their pinnacle, none could resolve the situation unless he immediately pulled out the hammer treasure.
“Ke Mo, focus.”
At that moment, a familiar, melodious voice rang in Ke Mo’s ears.
Without hesitation, he followed the advice, despite having done so many times before.
But this time was different.
A myriad of sword rhythms seemed to come alive, sharper than ever before.
He saw countless figures flash before him, all leaving their sword rhythms within the Divine Sword.
What he was witnessing now was Ying Bing’s perspective when she wielded her sword.
