Chapter 1238: The Art of Madness, The Duel of Poetry and Sword with Silent Understanding, The Divine One Trick

"Under suspicion, passive value, 2268."

"Under affirmation, passive value, 1314."

"Under suspicion."

"Under affirmation..."

The information panel overloaded at that moment, with notification pop-ups flashing at an unprecedented rate.

All the spectators felt their minds overload as well, whether they were minor players, ghostly beasts, or even Rao Yaoyao and Mei Yiren. The battle unfolding in mid-air seemed utterly dreamlike. Following the "Jiu Yue Ju Kong Shi," the two exchanged blows again, showcasing a wave of three thousand sword paths.

Soon, realizing that "Shi Chu Tong Men" would only lead to a stalemate, Ba Zun An unleashed another long-lost combination technique of illusion and ghost sword arts.

"Mirror in the flower, moon in the water, ripples of ten thousand forms, hundred ghosts at night."

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Kong Dong replicated it perfectly:

"Mirror in the flower, moon in the water, ripples of ten thousand forms, hundred ghosts at night!"

The wailing of ghosts echoed back and forth, dragging everyone into the immobilized world of mirror flowers and water moons, where they tore at one another.

The surrounding tens of thousands of li turned into a realm overrun by demons and spirits.

The two swords clashed but failed to pierce each other, instead leaving the onlookers terrified and shaken.

Once someone broke free, they realized that the earlier "Jiu Yue Ju Kong Shi" had taken out a wave of people, and now this "Mirror in the Flower" had claimed another batch.

Those immersed in the illusion sword arts fell into comas or died, unable to awaken. Yet, the battle in the void raged on!

"A single sword across the sky divides yin and yang, turning a hundred eras into emptiness over a thousand rivers."

Since the illusion sword arts couldn't affect his opponent, Ba Zun An shouted loudly, pointing his sword to the heavens, instantly forming a massive azure sword with Mo Jian Shu.

That sword hovered and slashed downward, aiming to obliterate Xiao Kong Dong completely.

But as soon as Ba Zun An's sword took shape, and his second true self absorbed it intently, Xiao Kong Dong followed suit without missing a beat.

"Sever the tangible and nameless path, overturn the illusory and real, man and beast!"

The same movements, the same sword technique.

Two massive azure swords, outlined with Mo Jian Shu, twisted the concepts of "truth" and "falsehood" in the style of Wu You Jian Liu.

In their thunderous collision, the Dao principles were laid bare, while reality itself nearly turned transparent.

At the same time, the spectators felt their bodies and souls invert, as the notions of void and substance were redefined.

The two swords couldn't break each other, but in that instant, the sword intent that collided and splashed out nearly obliterated countless nearby cultivators weak in spirit and soul.

It twisted bodies and struck directly at the divine soul!

The battle had ascended to the first realm of ancient sword arts!

Rao Yaoyao was stunned. If these two were both fakes, the cost of such deception was unimaginably high.

The nine great sword arts, eighteen sword styles—now three had emerged: Jue Dui Di Zhi, Yu Hun Gui Shu, and Wu You Jian Liu.

Who among all ancient sword cultivators under the heavens could master them all and combine them into techniques like this?

From what she could see, the swords these two wielded were genuine, though others might be baffled and awestruck. As someone from the same era as Ba Zun An, Rao Yaoyao could tell they truly originated from his famous swords that once dominated the Dong Yu Sword God Heaven.

"What's going on?"

Apart from both being real, Rao Yaoyao couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation.

She pressed her hand to her forehead, rubbing it while pondering if she had ever possessed such combat prowess in her youth.

Without a doubt, both of them had reached the level of Jian Xian, and far beyond the basic threshold.

Her previous suspicions seemed ready to be overturned.

Yet, all the shock was far from the end!

"Good lad, you've truly mastered it?" Ba Zun An said, seeing how each of his swords was replicated, showing a hint of surprise.

He was genuinely astonished!

Xu Xiao Shou's talent was terrifying beyond measure.

Earlier, Mister Yi Ren had taught him Heart Sword Arts, claiming it could be mastered in an instant, and Xiao Kong Dong had been skeptical.

Now, he believed it completely!

Facing him, Xiao Kong Dong showed no mercy whatsoever.

"Who are you, and why can you imitate my teacher's moves so perfectly? What 'good deeds' have you done under my teacher's identity before?" He even tried to salvage some reputation for the old Ba.

"Hah, guess." The fake Ba Zun An retreated as an advance, something a smart person could see through. "I guess you're at the end of your rope, and I'm the one truly inheriting my teacher's ultimate arts!"

Such arrogant words made Ba Zun An's eyes narrow slightly, as he coldly sneered, "A mayfly dreaming."

After a brief pause, cracks formed in the sword paths around him, manifesting infinitely while Mo Jian after Mo Jian generated, surging like a river.

"Infinite scrolls of the azure river, azure smoke escapes the purple shuttle."

As his sword pointed forth, Rao Yaoyao watched with her eyelids twitching wildly.

This sword was based on the infinite enumeration of the nine sword arts, amplifying the power of Mo Jian Shu's Azure River Sword Realm to its limit.

With two first realms 叠加, the azure turned into pale purple.

If the previous exchanges could be called minor skirmishes in ancient sword arts, this was undoubtedly the real deal.

The Azure River Sword Realm, released in infinite multiples, even qualified to challenge Rao Yaoyao herself.

So, earlier, when Ba Zun An didn't block her sword, was he truly holding back?

Opposite him, Xiao Kong Dong glanced in shock. "You know this too?"

With that, he copied the sword almost identically, even replicating "one poem, one sword, one sword, one song":

"Infinite scrolls of the azure river, azure smoke escapes the purple shuttle, illusions form a prison within, suffering inescapable!"

As the purple infinite sword realm swept in from the opposite side, a realm of bitter sword prison formed around Xiao Kong Dong.

The two collided with a deafening boom.

The Mo Jian swords pierced through each other, failing to tear apart their opponent, and instead, all techniques rebounded onto each other, ripping their clothes and leaving their flesh mangled. But the sword realms persisted, locked in a deadly struggle.

"Madness!"

"I'm really going mad!"

The spirit refiners on the island were completely dumbfounded.

Some Dong Yu spirit sword cultivators were thrilled, their hearts pounding with excitement.

This pure showdown of ancient sword arts hadn't been seen since the last generation's Seven Jian Xian conflict in the Nan Yu.

Now, on Xukong Island, not only had the dormant ancient sword arts battles been revived, but it was also an unusual "master-disciple" duel.

At this intensity, it could be called the opening act of a new era's Seven Jian Xian conflict.

Ancient sword cultivators were renowned for their peak combat power.

Battles between ancient sword cultivators were celebrated for their splendor.

And among them, the former Eighth Jian Xian stood out the most.

He was the epitome of perfectly blending "art" and "madness," making him the most revered.

Once a battle began, not only would Ba Zun An as the fighter revel in it, but the spectators would also be captivated.

The current fight nearly recreated a glimpse of the Eighth Jian Xian's conquest of the Dong Yu Sword God Heaven.

Regardless of their identities, these two had showcased the ultimate art of the sword path!

If some had feared the fight and retreated earlier, now all the spirit refiners on Xukong Island who could withstand the battle's aftershocks were focused intently.

Those who had reached the Zhan Dao or Tai Xu realms were rarely pure youths; most were of a certain age.

However, in the previous era, few of them had even qualified to make a name for themselves, let alone had the strength to interact with the Eighth Jian Xian.

Watching this battle was their closest encounter with the "Eighth Jian Xian," and it would become fodder for casual conversations afterward.

So, they tried to immerse themselves in that era, putting themselves in his shoes, wondering if they could withstand the opponent's sword and break free.

Upon realizing it was nearly impossible—this combination of ancient sword arts was fundamentally unbreakable—they couldn't help but feel awe.

The fear they experienced now was exactly the nightmare that geniuses of that era faced under the dominion of the "Eighth Jian Xian."

Ancient sword cultivators, once fully formed, were indeed unbeatable!

In the void, the two had started with feigned combat, but as it dragged on, at least Xiao Kong Dong had ignited real fury, regardless of how Xu Xiao Shou felt.

What a pest!

How was this guy managing to learn every sword he threw out? Such talent was enviably outrageous!

If he hadn't been certain that Xu Xiao Shou had never learned these techniques—because his teacher had no time to teach him personally, and had probably forgotten all the swords he'd ever used—Xiao Kong Dong might have thought Xu Xiao Shou had prepared extensively in advance.

But precisely because he knew otherwise, it shocked him even more.

Outsiders saw the "Xiao Kong Dong" opposite as indistinguishable from the real one, beyond question.

Yet, he once again grasped the perfection Xu Xiao Shou achieved when impersonating someone: one hundred percent, almost overflowing!

"Time leaps through the cloud mirror, flying beyond the world to seek the traceless."

"Mulberry and elm fade with the dawn's retreat, reversing age is a path not allowed!"

With a spatial-temporal leap, he tried to disrupt Xiao Kong Dong's timeline, "leaping" him back to infancy.

The world's rules wouldn't permit such a thing.

If someone truly "reversed age" under the Dao's witness, it would likely result in death by rules—an insurmountable cost, like exhausting one's lifespan.

In this illusion sword art, Ba Zun An incorporated the power of time, essentially going for the kill.

But Xiao Kong Dong countered it head-on.

Not only sword for sword and song for song, but his response with time power deflected the timeline assault and nearly turned it back on Ba Zun An, risking his own demise by Dao principles.

"My three-foot sword slays the gods in your heart."

"Dare to disrespect the White Jade Capital, and command the exiled immortals!"

The combination of Heart Sword Arts and Jue Dui Di Zhi manifested a three-foot divine sword that, in everyone's eyes, was nearly half the size of Xukong Island.

Many were blasted back, knocked unconscious, or driven to mental collapse by its sheer presence. Yet, Xiao Kong Dong withstood it, countering with an upward slash that nearly shattered the battlefield with explosive waves.

This sword could have reached the realm of "gods and Buddhas below"—Xu Xiao Shou read the restraint in Xiao Kong Dong's move.

If his Heart Sword Arts imagery had followed through, his identity would be exposed.

Fortunately, Xiao Kong Dong was clever, knowing when to hold back while unleashing his full arsenal, aware of what could and couldn't be used.

Back and forth, they traded blows in waves.

Full of twists and turns, the fight was neck and neck. By now, over half of the nine great sword arts' first realms had been displayed.

Rao Yaoyao was completely baffled.

These two's strength far exceeded the basic concept of Jian Xian—by miles. In the past Seven Jian Xian struggles, with a bit of luck, they might have claimed a spot.

But why was it Ba Zun An fighting Xiao Kong Dong?

One of them had to be fake, or even both, but who could be impersonating them so perfectly?

After watching this far, Rao Yaoyao realized no two people under the heavens could replicate Ba Zun An's past sword styles together.

She had suspected one might be Xu Xiao Shou before the fight, but she knew how mediocre his ancient sword arts were!

Even if these two were both impersonating Ba Zun An, it was impossible for one to be Xu Xiao Shou!

As the battle grew fiercer, they fought farther and farther.

From the ruins of Zui Yi Dian, they slashed toward the Giant Kingdom's wasteland, heading straight for the Miracle Forest, with devastating force, and possibly even beyond.

The battle's fluctuations showed no sign of stopping, escalating layer by layer.

Both were giving it their all, desperate to tear through the other's disguise, going for the kill. This wasn't an act—anyone could see it.

If either failed to block a sword, they'd meet a grim end on the spot.

So, Rao Yaoyao set aside her concerns for now, turning her attention back to her own matters.

Since the real or fake "Ba Zun An" had been drawn away by "Xiao Kong Dong," she could take the opportunity to deal with the others.

"Mei Lao, you may withdraw."

Rao Yaoyao said with firm resolve, even changing how she addressed him.

She might have been moved by Xiao Kong Dong's earlier words of "treating the disciple as one's own," but she still held a grudge.

Today, she wouldn't fight Mei Yiren, but someday, he would pay for his actions.

After dismissing Mei Yiren, the remaining targets—Tian Ren Wu Shui, Han Tian Zhi You, and Xu Xiao Shou—had to be handled personally right then.

"Rao Yaoyao..."

Mei Yiren looked melancholic, wanting to say more, but Rao Yaoyao cut him off forcefully:

"Mei Lao, no need for words. You must leave Xukong Island now. As for what follows, either you go to Sheng Shan and explain yourself, or someone will come for you."

Mei Yiren fell silent.

If Xu Xiao Shou were still here, he would have drawn his sword and mocked Rao Yaoyao, provoking her to strike.

But Xu Xiao Shou had already left!

Their scheme with Xiao Kong Dong had been extraordinarily successful, so much so that Mei Yiren nearly exclaimed in admiration:

They muddled the battlefield with dazzling combat, diverting Rao Yaoyao's attention from "San Xiang Ju Di" and keeping her focused on their true identities, delaying Yan Wu Se's appearance.

They disrupted her focus with the realms of various sword arts, creating an illusion of all-out, life-or-death combat, planting the seed that neither would let the other off easily.

By letting the fight spiral out of control, they expanded the range across all of Xukong Island, moving away from Rao Yaoyao. Once the timing was right, the two would silently escape using "Spatial-Temporal Leap" or similar.

Mei Yiren couldn't guarantee Xu Xiao Shou's, but with Xiao Kong Dong, they could definitely flee together.

If he had any doubts before, Xiao Kong Dong's display had proven more than enough.

A person who could conquer a realm and establish Can Yue Xian Cheng, rivaling Zang Jian Zong, was no empty reputation, even if young.

In short:

Xu Xiao Shou's appearance as Xiao Kong Dong, staging this soul-borrowing, diversionary, golden cicada escape with "Ba Zun An," was nothing short of a masterful move in this Xukong Island game!

The unspoken rapport between Xu and Xiao left those in the know applauding in awe!

Mei Yiren had calculated it all.

After Xu and Xiao left, he'd be the only one left stuck.

But Xu Xiao Shou had started with "treating the disciple as one's own," dispelling Rao Yaoyao's intent to draw her sword against him.

As expected, she was now letting the tiger return to the mountains, thinking he was still the same as before.

So, on-site, only Han Tian Zhi You remained, along with the second Xu Xiao Shou who couldn't be taken.

Han Tian Zhi You had Chao Sheng Dun, which was undoubtedly part of Xu Xiao Shou's plan. As long as it wasn't burdened by others and didn't want to fight, Yan Wu Se not yet awake could escape!

Because their opponent was an ancient sword cultivator.

As an ancient sword cultivator himself, Mei Yiren knew he had no means to restrain a determined Han Tian Zhi You.

That left only the second Xu Xiao Shou, meant for sacrifice.

"Mister Yi Ren..."

As expected, the Xu Xiao Shou behind him pleaded desperately.

His expression was so earnest, without a trace of deceit, as if he truly wanted to live and needed someone to take him away.

If he didn't know the real Xu Xiao Shou had already fled, Mei Yiren might have softened. But he had to play along with this final act of reluctance, putting the finishing touch on Xu Xiao Shou's brilliant strategy.

Sure enough, as soon as Mei Yiren turned back and his eyes softened, even before he could overact, Rao Yaoyao snorted coldly:

"You may leave, but Xu Xiao Shou must stay. That's non-negotiable!"