Chapter 1307: Great City, Heavenly Solution

What a magnificent Ba Zun An!

Although no one heard Ba Zun An's personal whispers, Dao Dian Zhu's words were audible to everyone.

One had to admit, just from Dao Dian Zhu's demeanor and that line—"Borrowing your three-foot swords, I shall witness the cutting away of all worldly sorrows"—everyone was convinced that this Ba Zun An was the genuine article.

"He's really here!"

"After Dao Dian Zhu, even the Eighth Sword Immortal has arrived on the island. Is this setting the stage for a new succession, another Ten Venerables War?"

"Cloud Lun casting treasures, Sheng Di's golden edict, the deep sea turning to void, mysteries exchanged for water ghosts... Ba Zun An has prepared thoroughly!"

"But his great enemy is Wang Ze Sheng Di, not some half-saint... That's a true Sheng Di—how can he fight that?"

For Ba Zun An, everyone's feelings were quite similar—pure admiration, nothing but admiration.

He wasn't flawless, after all; he had suffered defeat, losing two fingers in the process.

But who in life is ever perfect in every way?

That unknown battle from before was shrouded in rumors, with no one able to untangle the truth.

In short, Ba Zun An's merits far outweighed his flaws.

His life was one of constant battle, facing endless foes, even in defeat.

Now, even as the chief of the Sheng Nu, or someone from the Sheng Shen Hall, it was hard to muster any dislike for him.

He was so authentic!

Water Ghost was strong too, but he gave off a mixed vibe—deeply scheming, with complicated methods.

And as a former Yu Mo, joining the Sheng Nu, anyone could guess he had hidden motives.

Dao Qiong Cang was also strong, but he was a master of intricate plots, pulling countless strings.

His strength was as mysterious as his Tian Ji techniques—undetectable when you're in the thick of it, yet profoundly insightful in hindsight.

But all of that was just too circuitous!

Ba Zun An was completely different; his strength was direct, and so was he as a person!

Though there might be some in the Sheng Nu with ulterior motives, just looking at Ba Zun An himself...

Everyone was willing to believe that his only purpose in leading the Sheng Nu was for the struggle of the Great Dao.

Like the most straightforward way of ancient sword cultivators: pressure, resistance, defeat.

Nothing more.

So, when they looked back at the figure on the Ling Jing—advancing steadily, step by step—the onlookers could no longer hold firm to their own positions. The only thought in their minds was:

"The show has begun!"

At the edge of the sky, Rao Yao Yao landed beside Dao Qiong Cang, her eyes never leaving that figure outside Miracle Forest.

She paused for a moment, her face turning serious as she parted her red lips:

"I'll go cut him down!"

The Sheng Nu had been the biggest thorn in Sheng Shen Hall's side in recent years.

Yet their chief, Ba Zun An, had been elusive, only truly revealing his identity in the Eight Palaces.

Rao Yao Yao had wanted to fight Ba Zun An for over thirty years!

She didn't want to strike him now, when he seemed weakened; she preferred they both face off at full strength, pitting swords in a fair duel.

But as a member of Sheng Shen Hall, from that perspective, Ba Zun An's current vulnerable state and isolation made it the perfect opportunity for a decapitation strike.

"No need," Dao Qiong Cang said, reaching out to stop her.

"Why!" Rao Yao Yao's eyes flashed with anger—opportunity lost is opportunity gone.

Dao Qiong Cang shook his head, not wanting to explain. He simply said, "It's too late..."

It was indeed too late!

Ba Zun An's arrival had drawn everyone's attention.

Even Wang Ze Sheng Di in the Absolute Ember Fire Domain had his focus shifted by that wisp of sword intent aimed at Dao Qiong Cang.

Dao Qiong Cang himself, in that moment between life and death, had briefly given up resisting control over Si Wu Zhen.

This was a blatant scheme!

Ba Zun An didn't even need to make a move; just his "entrance" was enough to captivate.

In that instant, Si Wu Zhen, now freed from control, was seized by Xu Xiao Shou, one of the true masters of this battlefield.

"Borrowing your three-foot swords, I shall witness the cutting away of all worldly sorrows..."

Above the Absolute Ember Fire Domain, Xu Xiao Shou murmured to himself.

Thinking about how his own attempt to show off had failed, while Ba Zun An stole the spotlight so effortlessly, he ended up curling his lip and rolling his eyes.

"Hmph, showing off."

You're the one who's flashy, Ba Zun An—Dao Qiong Cang doesn't even compare.

With just one entrance and a single line, without even fighting, he'd grabbed everyone's attention.

If the passive system were on you, from Tian Sang Ling Palace all the way to Dong Tian Wang City, it probably would've maxed out by now.

Full of gripes though he was, he didn't forget the main task.

Seizing that razor-thin moment between life and death, Xu Xiao Shou had taken control.

Standing on the Zhen Dao Pan, Si Wu Zhen was once again in his grasp.

This time, the array's core was crystal clear, reflecting the heart's incantations, ready to unleash infinite wonders.

Regaining his focus, Xu Xiao Shou let out a loud cry and soared into the air:

"Rao Wang Ze, what are you looking at? Your opponent is me!"

With the 365 Zhen Xu Bei, the nine core elements, plus his three treasures—the Xin Zhao Zhi Xin, Bai Zhu, and Yan Mang—

This time, Xu Xiao Shou wasn't just borrowing Si Wu Zhen to summon Tian Zu's power simply.

He became one with the array's core, part of the Sheng Guang, a piece of Si Wu Zhen itself!

"Xu Xiao Shou..."

Only then did everyone turn their eyes back upon hearing that roar.

They saw Xu Xiao Shou, amid the operation of Si Wu Zhen, engulfed in Sheng Guang above the Absolute Ember Fire Domain, his Sheng Di aura climbing higher and higher, seemingly without limit.

"Is he unraveling Si Wu Zhen?"

Dao Qiong Cang held the Tian Ji Si Nan in his palm, instinctively moving to disrupt it, but a glance at that figure outside Miracle Forest made him halt.

Not just "Ming Yi"—

Ba Zun An's entry had put immense pressure on him.

This seemingly worn-down man could still unleash a sword strike with a cooled Xuan Tie Jian.

If he went after Xu Xiao Shou now, what kind of counterattack might Ba Zun An launch?

Turning your back on an enemy is no gentleman's way.

Let Wang Ze Sheng Di handle his own fight... Dao Qiong Cang thought silently.

"Xu Xiao Shou."

At the pinnacle of the Absolute Ember Fire Domain, Wang Ze Sheng Di murmured softly, as if committing the name to memory.

He showed little reaction to the operation of Si Wu Zhen or the changes in Xu Xiao Shou's Sheng Di aura.

That shadowy figure slowly raised its hand.

"Boom!"

Storms gathered as the sky pointed down once more.

Unlike the diversionary tactic on the Tian Ti, this time Wang Ze Sheng Di's true form entered, intent on destruction.

The might of Tian Qing One Finger surpassed the previous strike.

Yet Xu Xiao Shou soared through the air, with two great protectors still before him.

"Xu Xiao Shou, unleash yourself fully! Leave the rest to this old one..."

Mei Si Ren glanced upward briefly before withdrawing his gaze.

With a flick of his sleeve, a aura of deadly resolve emerged. He held the Tai Cheng Jian suspended before his chest, no longer the benevolent teacher—only the keen edge of a drawn sword.

Facing Tian Qing One Finger head-on, the old sword saint showed no fear, murmuring incantations as his sword finger brushed the blade.

In that moment, inch by inch, Tai Cheng Jian was polished bright, as if dust were wiped away.

Red plums blossomed in the air, sword intent cascading down.

"Clang—"

A sword cry echoed, making Void Island tremble.

Countless falling red plums brushed against Tian Qing One Finger, causing it to hesitate slightly.

Wang Ze Sheng Di's shadowy form solidified a bit more, as if with a hint of surprise, yet he waited quietly, not striking preemptively.

Soon, the ethereal Sheng Yin from Mei Si Ren's lips grew from soft to thunderous, resounding in all directions:

"The setting sun rests on the mountains, sword radiance breaks through hardship."

"In ancient times, the great wilderness dawned."

"Shadows leap in the forest, ripples suddenly bloom on the lake."

"Tai Cheng traverses the heavens, red plums worthy of lament."

With each line, Mei Si Ren's sword intent surged higher.

By the fourth line, the old sword saint seemed to regain his youth, his face ruddy, his breath vibrant, as if on the verge of transcendence.

Tai Cheng Jian, too, was like one drunk on strong wine, glowing red-hot, its fierce sword intent shredding space and Dao laws, tearing through Sheng Di's pressure.

The sword raged skyward!

"This is..."

At the ruins of Zui Yi Dian, the onlookers in the Ling Jing saw it crack under the sword intent.

But in the distance, that soaring sword light was visible to the naked eye, no need for indirect viewing.

"What is this?!"

"What sword technique is Mei Si Ren using? We've never seen it before!"

"Something's wrong—he was clearly only at that level when he fought the Tian Ji Shen Shi earlier. How did he suddenly get so much stronger? Is this ancient sword cultivation?"

"You're clueless. There were rules restricting the old sword saint before. Now that he's got that Xuan Xu Xia, why hide anymore?"

"The pressure from Sheng Di on Mei Si Ren is still too great... Look! Human and sword as one! This strike must be..."

Even Dao Qiong Cang watched in astonishment, turning to Rao Yao Yao as if seeking confirmation.

High in the void, Rao Yao Yao looked up.

Seeing how Tai Cheng Jian's energy perfectly merged with Mei Si Ren in that instant, she understood the old sword saint's intent.

Gripping Xuan Cang Shen Jian tightly, a flicker of envy crossed Rao Yao Yao's eyes.

This was the realm she pursued too!

Following the Sheng Yin came a serene yet resounding voice, firm and unyielding:

"Tai Cheng, Tian Jie!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

After Tai Cheng Jian took to the skies, Mei Si Ren, with his ferocious sword image on his back, also soared upward.

The illusory Ou Yi array diagram shattered instantly beneath Tai Cheng Jian and at Mei Si Ren's feet.

Endless sword qi storms raged, flinging the nearby Water Ghost into the air.

"What are you doing?!"

Water Ghost was stunned, his body cracking, blood flowing.

He was truly baffled.

We were supposed to protect together, and you suddenly go all out without a word to your teammate...

With a famous sword like Tian Jie beside me, are you trying to get me killed faster?

Water Ghost had no desire to fight anymore; he dodged and fled, leaving the battlefield to Mei Si Ren.

Tian Jie, as the name implied, was the ancient sword cultivator's technique to unite with their sword, liberating all the hidden power within it, suppressed by the heavens.

In Sheng Shen Continent, treasures suffered from heavenly obscurity, earthly obscurity, and self-obscurity.

Especially the renowned treasures, nurtured by the world's fame, had grown absurdly strong and thus required sealing.

Yet some eccentric ancient sword cultivators specialized in this—not sword techniques, but the sword's own power.

Tian Jie aimed to activate the sword's inherent traits.

Here, "famous sword" didn't just mean the Twenty-One Famous Swords.

It included the Five Great Chaos Divine Artifacts, the Nine Supreme Divine Artifacts, the Ten Miraculous Weapons, and even swords that had once topped various lists but were lost, now etched on the Yi Wen Bei.

If you take the sword as the foundation and the person as the essence...

Tian Jie clears away the obscurity, allowing the famous sword to achieve sainthood, even Sheng Di status.

The exact strength after Tian Jie depends on how well the person and sword align, and how strong the "person's" sword mastery is.

Water Ghost fled in terror because he'd witnessed Ba Zun An's Tian Jie in their past battle, which left him battered and bleeding.

Few ancient sword cultivators mastered this technique!

But those who could execute it without dying were all top-tier talents!

In the previous era, because of Ba Zun An, everyone had experienced the various prowess of ancient sword cultivators, leaving deep impressions.

Now, memory and reality intertwined.

Water Ghost glanced back after escaping, seeing the scenes overlap—though they looked different, the essence of the force was the same.

Tai Cheng Jian broke through the air.

Mei Si Ren broke through the air.

The two merged into the sword qi storm, vanishing completely.

But just like in his memories, in an instant, a grand, ancient, terrifying vision appeared.

Whoosh.

The sword intent condensed.

The sky darkened, the sun set on the mountains, and the evening glow bathed Void Island in golden spots—all transformed into sword intent.

Time's Great Dao rewound, Tian Qing One Finger reversed, the world returned to antiquity, as if entering the great wilderness, with the sun wheel reemerging and time looping back.

Everything reverted to primal origins: ancient forests leaped with sword shadows, stirring lake ripples that started as a point and, as they moved through the sky, turned into an ancient giant city.

That was Tai Cheng Jian!

Its essence had condensed an entire primal world!

Tai for vastness, greatness, eternity, antiquity; Cheng for humanity, realms, the mundane world, the present!

With Tai Cheng Tian Jie, it manifested as the Tai Cheng vision, clashing with Tian Qing One Finger.

Mei Si Ren was only newly sanctified.

Yet in this moment, he perfectly embodied the monstrous combat power of ancient sword cultivators—impossible to judge by realm alone.

When the shadow of Void Tai Cheng collided with Tian Qing One Finger, a ferocious ancient giant in the city awakened, wielding a sword and rising, revealing only its upper body.

That was a sword image magnified to near infinity!

Its head was bowed to by ten thousand swords, its body surrounded by red dust motes, its hands gripping Qing Wu... It filled the entire sky of Void Island!

Its lower body was unseen, but its waist was the ancient Tai Cheng—the strongest defense!

Tian Qing One Finger couldn't even shake the Tai Cheng vision much before the ferocious sword image's Qing Wu dual swords crossed in a horizontal slash.

Rumble, rumble, rumble—

The Sheng Di's finger was shattered from the tip by sword qi, exploding into a shower of radiant light.

"My heavens..."

This strike left everyone stunned and trembling.

Water Ghost, outside the Absolute Ember Fire Domain battlefield, fell silent, lacking the confidence to block it himself.

This was ancient sword cultivation!

This was Mei Si Ren!

His frontal combat power even made Ou Yi half-saints feel fear and shock.

Rao Yao Yao narrowed her eyes slightly in the high void, gripping Xuan Cang tightly.

Shen Jian Xuan Cang let out a low whine—it wasn't a perfect match with its current master.

It had chosen another owner before, craving this very realm.

It had clashed with Xiong Jian You Si, but in this moment, it dared not compete with Tian Jie Tai Cheng.

In this instant, even if the Five Great Chaos Divine Artifacts gathered, Tai Cheng would lead them all!

Outside Miracle Forest, Ba Zun An had stopped in his tracks, gazing into the distance, but he couldn't see much.

While the world marveled at Tian Jie, he was already accustomed to it.

Glancing once, he withdrew his gaze without a ripple, chuckling softly:

"From chaos born Tai Cheng, bestowed on the mad sword bearer, not for fleeting fame, only for pure roots... What a pity, Mei Si Ren isn't the old master, so he's not a perfect match for Tai Cheng Jian."

"Fortunately, Tai Cheng's intent can still resonate with him, but even so, it's so forced."

"Sigh, I just hope that forcing Tian Jie doesn't leave him too damaged afterward."

Ba Zun An sighed, continuing his steps forward, suddenly burdened with extra worries.

Was it really that hard?

In the Absolute Ember Fire Domain, the Tai Cheng vision shattered Tian Qing One Finger and pressed on relentlessly, chasing and slashing at that distant shadowy figure.

Now, even Wang Ze Sheng Di had to treat it with caution.

True, he could see that Mei Si Ren was overexerting this technique and would suffer afterward.

But afterward was afterward; the current power of Tai Cheng Tian Jie was undeniable.

Under everyone's gaze, Wang Ze Sheng Di's shadowy form faded bit by bit, then solidified into a tall, ethereal male figure.

His features remained blurred, clearly considering the life-and-death trials mortals face before the saint, but everyone could still sense a hint of amusement in his vague expression:

"Mei Si Ren? Interesting..."