Chapter 1027: The Best World

Resonance—

A prolonged sword hum, its sound traveling for miles.

In the Yunlun Mountain Range, after the Hermit’s sword strike, all the trial participants looked up in terror, witnessing a sword light powerful enough to engulf the entire Sky City.

“This sword strike…”

In an instant, everyone’s jaws dropped, and their minds felt as if they were being swallowed whole. What an astonishing and peerless sword strike!

No one could describe their feelings after witnessing this strike. Yet, following their gaze, following the sword light, and feeling the terrifying power within it, everyone felt their souls ascend to heaven.

Some saw the pinnacle of spirit refining, envisioning themselves crowned, looking down upon the world. Others saw the ultimate end of swordsmanship, envisioning themselves as peerless figures, suppressing ages. Still others saw pools of wine and forests of meat, countless thinly clad divine courtesans, holding wine cups with alluring charm, brimming with spring vitality…

“Hehehe, hehehe, hehehe…”

Throughout the Yunlun Mountain Range, there was widespread foolish laughter, as if everyone had attained their deepest desires.

After a moment of immersion, some began to awaken.

“What the hell!”

“What did I just see?”

“How did I become the Sword God? So, the Sword God was me all along? Am I a reincarnation of the Sword God?”

Of course, some were still immersed in their own worlds, unwilling to wake up.

“Who stands supreme at the peak of spirit refining? With a single glance from me, the Dao turns to emptiness!”

“Hehehe, hehehe… Little lady, where are you running off to? Come here, to your Emperor!”

***

At the Eighth Dragon Vein, Su Qianqian and Gu Qingsan stared blankly at the brilliant sword light, still immersed in their own worlds.

Amidst the glistening white snow, after wielding the Tomb-Naming City Snow and striking down Ba Zun’an, Su Qianqian suddenly turned, only to see endless solitude.

“Grandpa, Father… I’ve avenged you, but where are you…”

The vast path offered no direction at all. She had finally taken revenge, finally personally killed the person who had almost wiped out the entire Su family. Yet, nothing had returned to how it used to be… Little Su Qianqian, holding the large, snow-white greatsword, squatted down and sobbed softly.

The scene shifted to a starry night, just before Su Qianqian was to be sent to the Heavenly Mulberry Spirit Palace for refuge.

“Grandpa, why do so many people want to steal our family’s sword? Why aren’t they afraid of death, even though they’re so weak…” Little Su Qianqian sat on the steps of the Su family’s front yard, hugging her knees, looking at the night sky, utterly puzzled.

Grandpa dotingly ruffled her hair and chuckled, “Those who aspire to the Grand Dao naturally pursue it. Everyone has their greatest ideal within their heart. They desire the famous swords to reach the pinnacle, and as a family of sword-wielders, our sole duty is to protect our honor.”

“Then what’s your greatest ideal, Grandpa?”

“Of course, it’s you.”

“No, no, no! I didn’t mean that. I meant your… ideal?”

“My ideal…” Grandpa also looked at the starry sky, his eyes filled with hope. “My greatest ideal, my greatest aspiration, is to witness the ‘Second World’ with my own eyes before I die.”

“The Second World? What’s that?”

“It’s the most beautiful world! Every swordsman yearns for it!”

“Hmm, I don’t yearn for it.”

“That’s because you’re still little, hahaha…”

Grandpa ruffled little Su Qianqian’s head again, then his laughter faded, and he became much more serious:

“My dear girl, remember! People live for what is beautiful, not for hatred! If, in the future, your Grandpa unfortunately dies at the hands of others, it will be due to the struggle for famous swords, a common occurrence throughout history. You must never dwell on it, or be consumed by hatred and go to extremes. Know that what you should pursue is your own most beautiful path!”

Little Su Qianqian shook her head, “Grandpa, you’re talking nonsense again. How could you possibly lose?”

Grandpa laughed heartily, “Exactly! Your Grandpa is the strongest sword cultivator! There’s no one better! Hmm, well, maybe there is. When you grow up, your Grandpa will retire to second place, and you can be first, how about that?”

“Okay!” Little Su Qianqian waved her fists, her small face brimming with excitement.

The scene shifted again, returning to when Su Qianqian came back to the Su family compound and her Third Uncle gave her the Orb of Inheritance. Inside the Orb of Inheritance, there was a record of her Grandpa’s battle with Ba Zun’an. The final move was Grandpa’s "Space-Time Leap," which brought him into Ba Zun’an’s "Second World," leaving his last words in this world:

"If one learns the Dao in the morning, one can die in the evening without regret."

“Wuwuwu…” As the memories became clearer, Su Qianqian burst into tears. She was only fourteen; she still didn’t fully understand what her Third Uncle and Grandpa had meant. She still resented the person who had destroyed all her beautiful things.

But…

As an ancient sword cultivator who had already received the inheritance, Su Qianqian also understood her current situation.

“The Second World… Grandpa, I’ve come to the ‘most beautiful Second World’ you spoke of, but why am I the only one here…”

Her sobs gradually lessened. Su Qianqian wiped away her tears, picked up the Tomb-Naming City Snow with a lonely gesture, and glanced at Ba Zun’an’s corpse at her feet, regaining a slight clarity.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa, I still went to the extreme you warned against…”

At this moment, she suddenly realized that perhaps she couldn't let go of her obsession with revenge. But Grandpa was right: hatred isn't the only thing in life; pursuing beauty is what everyone should do.

Su Qianqian vaguely remembered that within the Orb of Inheritance, she saw her Grandpa in the Second World, and his face showed the most genuine, joyful smile. In contrast to herself… Su Qianqian knew that her “loneliest” Second World was absolutely not what her Grandpa would have wanted to see if he were still alive. Such a world had nothing but hatred!

“But what else can I have besides hatred…”

Su Qianqian saw the Tomb-Naming City Snow in her arms suddenly vanish, and the corpse of her enemy at her feet disintegrated into starlight. She looked around, confused and helpless, wanting to grasp something, but finding nothing.

Just then, “Hehehe, hehehe…”

A foolish laugh reached her ears, and Su Qianqian snapped awake. The world before her eyes disintegrated, and she was back at the Eighth Dragon Vein.

“What did I just experience?” Su Qianqian was bewildered; she felt as if she had undergone a journey of the heart, yet she didn’t know why.

She turned her gaze to see Gu Qingsan lying sprawled on a large rock, forming a “big” character, his face still contorted in a foolish grin, still unable to wake up.

“The Second World?” Su Qianqian remembered something and abruptly looked towards the void. But the void was empty; let alone the sword light, even the Sky City was gone!

“Third Senior Brother! Third Senior Brother!” Disregarding everything else, Su Qianqian quickly shook her Third Senior Brother. But Gu Qingsan continued to giggle foolishly, unable to recover from the Second World. To die amidst ultimate beauty, to live eternally amidst endless sin… Su Qianqian suddenly thought of the true meaning of the Second World, feeling a little flustered.

Just then, “Hehehe, hehehe… Gu Qingyi, Gu Qingyi, so this is your day too? Go copy the 'Sword Scripture' ten thousand times! Hurry and write! And you, Gu Qing’er! How does it feel to be defeated by a single sword? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Wahahahaha… Wen Ting! Hahaha, you dog-thief Wen Ting, I’ve wanted to defeat you for ages! Now, do you finally admit that swordless techniques are the most powerful? Hahahaha…” (Asleep, hands on hips)

Su Qianqian listened to his delirious ramblings from the side, watching Gu Qingsan still moving, and was momentarily stunned. He’s alive! He can still be saved!

But… Third Senior Brother, what kind of dream are you having? Also, how dare you call Master by his sacred name?

“Slap!”

No one was seen, but suddenly, Gu Qingsan's left cheek swelled red, as if he had been fiercely slapped, and he abruptly woke up.

“Wh—... Master, why did you hit me?” Gu Qingsan looked around. In his dream, Master appeared at the end and slapped him fiercely. But after waking up, he couldn't see Master anywhere…

Suddenly, Gu Qingsan also realized something and abruptly looked up at the sky.

“The Second World? Just now, that was the Second World? Who made the move?”

He quickly lowered his head and saw Su Qianqian's adorable little face again. At this point, the question of “who made the move” became unimportant. He was completely dumbfounded: “Little... Little Junior Sister? You woke up so fast. Just... just now, you didn’t hear anything, did you?”

Su Qianqian stared blankly at her Third Senior Brother, suddenly understanding what her Grandpa’s “most beautiful world” truly meant. She covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Third Senior Brother, I heard everything, you know.”

Gu Qingsan covered his face, which was swollen like a pig’s head: ???

***

At the Gu Yin Cliff Ruins, Water Ghost and Cen Qiaofu quickly regained consciousness, then stared in horror at the Hermit, whose sword strike's aftermath could affect them.

“This… is something that guy from before could do?” Cen Qiaofu couldn't reconcile the person who merely mimicked him and was easily trapped by Water Ghost's water sphere with the Hermit who just unleashed this world-shaking sword strike.

But before they could be stunned for long, “Thump!”

After the Hermit, Ba Zun’an also collapsed softly to the ground.

“Oh my goodness…” Cen Qiaofu panicked, quickly flashed over, and helped Ba Zun’an up.

“Cough, cough, I’m fine… *Pfft*!” Ba Zun’an’s face was covered in a mouthful of blood. He tremblingly pointed a finger at the Hermit beside him, “First, check on his condition!”

Cen Qiaofu: “…” This is “fine”? If you keep messing around, I might really never see you again, damn it!

After feeding Ba Zun’an a pill, Cen Qiaofu quickly put him down, turned to the other side, and then gently lifted the Hermit’s limp, powerless arm. The Hermit's body was covered in cracks and blood.

“Dead.” Cen Qiaofu sighed. As expected, that sword strike was the peak moment of his life, wasn't it? To have survived that would be a miracle!

“Dead?” Ba Zun’an was stunned, his voice rising, “No way! He’s been holding back his sword for over ten years; he should still have a breath left…”

Just then, Water Ghost stepped forward, checked the Hermit’s breath, and then felt his chest.

“No breath, heartbeat has stopped…” He stated calmly, then suddenly remembered something and pressed his hand to the Hermit’s neck. Faintly, at the location of the carotid artery, there seemed to be a slight pulse?

Water Ghost let out a sigh of relief, “He’s still alive, but barely. In this state, he’ll most likely never wake up, just be a living corpse.”

“So it was still a struggle after all…” Ba Zun’an sighed upon hearing this, but wasn't completely despairing. “As the caster, he’s just too deeply immersed in his own Second World. He’ll wake up when he’s ready.”

Cen Qiaofu: “…”Water Ghost: “…”

“After all, wielding a sword beyond one’s realm is still a bit difficult,” Ba Zun’an pulled a smile. “But once he wakes, he’ll surely have gained a lot. Help me up, cough, cough… *Pfft*!”

As Cen Qiaofu leaned in, his face was splattered with blood. He silently put the person down again, cleaned himself, then picked up both men, one in each arm.

“You should have let me do it,” Water Ghost said helplessly, looking at the two limp “corpses.”

Ba Zun’an slightly shook his head, “You can hold up the city, but I just finished issuing the Saint Emperor’s Golden Edict, and I don’t know how many days it will take to recover enough strength to issue another. We can’t wait that long.” As he spoke, he looked towards the Central Domain and murmured, “That guy won’t give us that much time.”

Water Ghost also looked towards the void and nodded silently. He was familiar with this. The Holy Divine Temple wouldn’t allow them to carry a city and wait for another edict. Moreover, Dao Qiongcang’s power was known throughout the world. One slip-up, and if he came, the Void Island and its people would all be taken!

“We should go.” Water Ghost looked at the empty sky. At this moment, the Void Island had been severed by the Hermit’s sword. But naturally, this ancient mighty city couldn't just vanish or retreat into spatial currents. Outsiders couldn’t see clearly, but Water Ghost could discern a discordant space-time trace appearing high in the heavens. That place was effectively an entrance to an alternate dimension. And the Void Island, by the Hermit’s sword, had been embedded within the Second World, forever suspended in mid-air.

“Let’s go, they’re coming.” Ba Zun’an nodded, said no more, and focused on his recovery.

Cen Qiaofu immediately carried both men, kicked off, opened a spatial rift, and stepped inside.

***

Behind them, Water Ghost glanced towards the cloud sea in the cliff. The deep-sea world was no longer visible here, because everything that should have ended had ended, and everyone who should have entered had entered. Once the Void Gate opened, everyone was transported to Void Island. This meant… this operation was essentially over. The Yunlun Mountain Range was no longer the primary battlefield for Half-Saints and Saint Emperors. The next battlefield… Void Island!

After the few had left, above the Gu Yin Cliff Ruins, spatial teleportation fluctuations appeared, and two figures, one tall and one short, stepped out of the teleportation array. The War Machine II, over three zhang tall, cradling a human-sized Yan Wuse in its hand, landed silently on the broken mountain terrain. As the most mature Heavenly Secret Puppet, the mere existence of Unit II was equivalent to a domain-level teleportation array. There was no place in the world it could not reach.

As soon as he landed, Yan Wuse’s brows furrowed.

“The power of sword intent, illusory sword techniques… Ba Zun’an indeed came here, he made a move.”

“Hmm, traces of space-time attributes… this must be King Yama’s Yellow Springs, right?”

“And, the Half-Saint power of the cloud element…”

Yan Wuse mused, recalling Dao Qiongcang’s words during the Ten-Person Council meeting: “This Half-Saint who acted on his own, you can focus on investigating the Northern Domain.” Yan Wuse immediately pinpointed the individual.

“Half-Saint, Jiang Buyi?”

In just a few breaths, solely based on the auras and traces, Yan Wuse almost fully deduced all the parties who had fought in this great battle. Behind him, Unit II, resembling a colossal beast, hummed as numerous data streams flashed in its eyes, “Everything you said is correct.”

Yan Wuse glared at it irritably, “Nonsense, who do you think I am! Also, you’re assigned to follow me, but as a trump card, shouldn’t you be hidden?”

Unit II nodded, “You are correct.” Then it became invisible.

Yan Wuse: “…”

Fine, let’s go check out Void Island first!

Looking up, Yan Wuse naturally saw Void Island hidden within the Second World, but at that moment, he froze. How to get in?

Behind him, Unit II seemed to perceive his confusion and reappeared. It then opened its palm, revealing a small token.

“Hall Master Dao calculated that you would forget to bring the Void Token, and had already instructed me to bring one before the meeting. As expected, you forgot.”

Yan Wuse looked at the Void Token, lost in thought. What is going on! So, even though I’m in charge of this operation, that kid Dao Qiongcang had already calculated all of this before the meeting???