Chapter 1902: Humiliation

"Look, who is that!"

In the Sword Sea of Linghu, as everyone eagerly anticipated, the world suddenly lost its color.

The entire world darkened in an instant, and a strong light burst forth from beyond the heavens, forcefully drawing everyone's gaze.

As they looked up, they saw a backlit, black figure stepping out from it, walking with the majestic presence of an immortal.

"Buzz!"

The Sword Sea trembled in unison.

Myriad swords each produced sword intent, transforming into qi that surged upwards.

The myriad swords, which had been subservient to Bazun'an's tyrannical power, seemed to have welcomed a second Sword Dao emperor. They actually turned their direction and, "uncontrollably," bowed down towards that figure.

"This..."

Onlookers from the Five Domains watched in shock.

In today's world, someone who could mobilize the thoughts and names of so many swords in the Sword Sea for their own use, like the Eighth Sword Immortal...

They could be counted on one finger!

"Is it Shou Ye?"

"It must be him!"

"Absolutely! At least at moments like this, Shou Ye is never absent."

This little rascal...

Mei Siren's eyelids twitched; he didn't even need to look.

When he counted the famous swords and found only Yanmang missing, he knew what his student wanted to do.

Xiao Shou Gege...

Su Qianqian looked up, her mind flashing back to the slight awkwardness when Xiao Shou Gege taught her the reverse sword control technique.

Now, he had used the reverse sword control technique, from the competition at Tiansang Linggong to hovering above all ancient sword cultivators in the Five Domains.

Xu Shao...

Xiao Wanfeng's eyes were also filled with anticipation.

No matter how arrogant an ancient sword cultivator, no matter how conceited a young prodigy, when Xu Shao appeared, everyone had to instinctively step back.

"Shou Ye! It's Shou Ye!"

Around Linghu, everyone fixed their gaze, their eyes flickering, thoughts swirling.

The Linghu Chuan Daozhu, led by Hong Niang, immediately focused their cameras on the figure high in the sky, passionately shouting and explaining countless glorious achievements.

"Bazun'an is one chi eight fen taller than the heavens, while Xu Xiaoshou is one zhang taller than the saints!"

The legend of the Eighth Sword Immortal suppressing an entire generation was something later generations could only hear about during leisure.

In this era, however, regardless of whether they were young, middle-aged, or elderly, almost everyone lived in the shadow of Shou Ye.

Bazun'an had been defeated before.

Shou Ye, to this day, had never suffered a single defeat!

Even in the face of Saint Emperors and Ancestor Gods, he navigated with skill.

Everyone wanted to give him the cold shoulder, but he never took it. Instead, he kicked open their doors, causing the masters within to stumble at his hands more than once.

"After rushing and rushing, I finally made it to this lively event... Bazun'an, I'm not late, am I?" A light laugh came from high in the sky, stopping everyone's wild imaginings.

Auspicious clouds dispersed, and crane shadows flew away.

The tall figure, who had appeared with various phenomena, solidified. His robes fluttered, in the prime of his youth and vigor, attracting all gazes in the arena. It was indeed Shou Ye.

Being the center of attention did not trouble him; he thoroughly enjoyed it. When his eyes swept downwards, few dared to meet his gaze, which filled him with a sense of triumph.

"Hiss!"

Stepping into the void, he took a long, deep breath.

Feeling the gaze of the entire world upon him, sensing the nourishment of fame, the "Jinjin" that had just been born felt as refreshed as if he had just urinated, giving a slight shiver.

—This was that simple, brutal pleasure!

He scanned Gu Qingyi, Er, San, Si from the Sword Tomb of Burials, Xiao Kongdong, Xiao Wanfeng, Lei Shuangxing, Luo Leilei, Feng Tingchen, Gou Wuyue, and Mr. Siren... Everyone lowered their heads.

Those who didn't lower their heads, Jinjin tacitly assumed were gazes of respect.

Very good!

Only when all beings fear me can I be a true man.

This was originally a privilege only the main body could enjoy.

But at this moment, I, Jinjin, also got to experience it—after dying so many times, I finally got to feel this good once. Main body, you are truly not human!

The main body once had a dream: to shout "I am a Xiantian master" in a crowd of ten thousand people and gain ten thousand passive points from it.

Jinjin smiled.

He didn't have such a superficial dream.

His dream was to tell a long-planned, legendary story publicly, under the spotlight of the entire world:

"Thirty thousand years ago..."

Jinjin lifted his chin, his voice ethereal, his demeanor just beginning to form.

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

Not far away, Hua Changdeng's eyes narrowed as he looked over, interrupting sternly, clearly intending to settle past scores.

Useless.

You can't even recognize me, Jinjin the Great Emperor.

How can the ultimate realm of the Path of Intent be understood by mere mortals below the Transcendent Dao Transformation? The entire world is under my, Jinjin's, guidance!

Jinjin ignored Hua Changdeng, waving him off, signaling the ants not to chatter, and continued to lecture the Five Domains.

His dream wasn't grand.

The main body had fished at Qianshi, making himself appear before the three Ancestors of Demon, Medicine, and Calamity.

Though he said it was for a bit of fun, anyone with discerning eyes could see that his death was imminent.

So, one had to realize dreams early, because if delayed, it might fall to the Jinjin of the next life to play the part:

"Thirty thousand years ago, the Sword God once observed the moon from the peak of Jianlou."

"For a full three days and three nights, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, the creation of heaven and earth, and then felt..."

Matters of the Sword Ancestor?

Hua Changdeng narrowed his eyes, indeed stopping his words.

He had never heard this story. Had Xu Xiaoshou perhaps gone to Jianlou and returned?

"Shou Ye is truly amazing, he even ignored Hua Changdeng?"

"Could the Sword Ancestor's past be related to the Eighth Sword Immortal's collection of twenty-one famous swords, hoping to give Bazun'an some inspiration?"

"Anticipating, anticipating, rubbing hands, what happened next? What did the Sword Ancestor feel?"

Bazun'an, bearing the black crown and Xuan robe of an emperor, felt an inexplicable surge of anxiety.

Why did Xu Xiaoshou appear?

What did he want to do?

Jinjin ignored everyone, continuing on his own. But amidst the anticipation of the crowd, he suddenly changed the topic:

"After three days of no food or drink, even the powerful Sword God probably felt hungry."

"Humans are iron, food is steel. So the Sword Ancestor, at the peak of Jianlou, pulled out a banana from his spatial ring."

Bazun'an staggered violently, his premonition was correct!

He nearly lost his footing and fell from high in the sky, clearly already knowing the ending.

Banana?

Hua Changdeng didn't understand, but Hua Changdeng respected it.

The Five Domains' listeners also didn't understand, but they also respected it.

After all, it was Shou Ye. Everyone could fully accept a bit of personal exaggeration inserted into a legendary story.

"Quickly, what happened next? The banana isn't important, what did the Sword Ancestor feel?"

Jinjin gave everyone enough time to brainstorm, then nodded, though no one knew what he was nodding about, and then cut straight to the point:

"The Sword God's hand slipped, and he didn't grasp the banana."

"The banana fell from the ninety-nine-story Jianlou, but it didn't smash. Question: What did the banana turn into?"

Hua Changdeng's thoughts suddenly froze.

For a moment, he regretted having followed Xu Xiaoshou's words and thinking about them.

He looked at Xu Xiaoshou, waiting for this guy to take another turn and get back on track, but saw him close his mouth, appearing profound and unfathomable, as if...

As if the story was already finished!

"What in the world?"

"Banana? A mundane object, right? I'd take an apple!"

"Is Shou Ye crazy? What is he talking about! No, no, there must be a deeper meaning, I need to follow Shou Ye's train of thought..."

The Linghu Chuan Daozhu once again felt the vast power of Shou Ye.

Comments began to flood the screen, the frenzy no less than the appearance of the Eighth Sword Immortal or Shou Ye himself. Everyone's interest was piqued, and answers varied:

Some said the banana split open, and a "Shou Banana" jumped out;

Some said the banana didn't split open, but "I myself split open";

Others said the banana actually didn't change, just as Shou Ye, you truly are consistently wild, not changed a bit...

"Xiao Wanfeng, you are a young talent in the Sword Dao, a person who advances rapidly. You answer this seemingly trivial question of mine."

Shou Ye was too serious.

He called out a good student by name.

His matter-of-fact demeanor, and even actively pointing out "seemingly trivial," made all the joking people in the Five Domains feel ridiculous, so they began to seriously ponder the answer to Shou Ye's question.

Xiao Wanfeng pondered for a long time, then tentatively said, "The banana split open, and the twelve swords of Jianlou flew out from inside, the Sword Ancestor opened the profound gate, achieving enlightenment and ascension?"

The Five Domains gasped.

There was indeed such a possibility! As expected of Xiao Wanfeng, the master of the Divine Sword Xuan Cang, he had something!

"Eliminated."

"I said the banana didn't break. What are you thinking?"

"A hint: the banana is no longer a banana; it has mutated."

Shou Ye gave a hint, then looked at the taciturn Lei Shuangxing, his voice transforming into the sound of the Dao, ethereal and profound:

"Those who see well are often trapped by what they see, and those who think well are often taciturn and solitary, which is called 'sheep in flocks, fierce beasts alone.' This is one who has firm will in the Dao."

"So Lei Shuangxing, in your opinion, what did the banana turn into?"

Lei Shuangxing originally didn't want to bother with Xu Xiaoshou.

That phrase "those who see well" made him feel that in this formal setting, Xu Xiaoshou, who usually seemed unreliable, had finally matured and was being serious.

He also pondered deeply before daring to give a highly praised answer in front of the world:

"'Banana' mutating suggests that the banana was not a common banana to begin with, but rather represented the Sword Ancestor himself."

"The Sword Ancestor could wield a sword, how could he make a mistake and lose himself? Yet this was the case. It indicates that the profoundness of enlightenment, the door, perhaps lies not in the ethereal heavens, but in being down-to-earth, focusing on solidifying oneself."

The Five Domains suddenly understood.

So there could be such an interpretation.

No wonder it's Lei Shuangxing of the Sacred Slaves. The profound gate opened by the sword is not in the heavens, but beneath one's feet. Taking one step at a time is the way to achieve the Grand Dao!

"He's strong, this guy."

"I said that anyone who survived the Lei family's disaster back then would be no ordinary person."

"Lei Xi'er is adventuring at the Crossroads, and I thought her brother was just watching by Linghu. Turns out he has his own understanding. Ancient sword cultivators really shouldn't be underestimated!"

"No, how is this strong? I thought the same thing..."

Comments from various Chuan Daozhu flooded the screen. Everyone then simultaneously looked at Shou Ye, awaiting his judgment.

And indeed, the current Shou Ye, with his profound insights, already possessed the qualifications to guide his peers.

His attainments in the Sword Dao, not to say he was the foremost under the Sword God... if Hua Ba and the others perished together in battle, then it could be said.

But Shou Ye flicked his sleeve, waving his hand without ceremony, directly rejecting Lei Shuangxing's answer:

"What nonsense are you talking about, it's all gibberish, I can't even understand it!"

Lei Shuangxing was stunned.

He doubted himself slightly for a moment.

Then he suddenly felt he shouldn't doubt himself, and then he wondered if Xu Xiaoshou was actually still fooling around?

No...

It couldn't be...

Because Shou Ye turned to look at Hua Changdeng!

It was then that the world understood: this question, when it appeared, was originally prepared for Saint Emperor Hua—everything before was just a preamble, and the true meaning of the Dao came later. He also wanted to discuss the Dao!

Hua Changdeng stared at Xu Xiaoshou.

Hua Changdeng inexplicably felt a slight anxiety.

How utterly absurd! He even recalled the feeling of alarm he had when Mr. Siren called his name in class during his Sword Dao enlightenment. Even though he knew the answer, he inexplicably became serious and spoke gravely.

"Sword Immortal Hua..."

"Mm."

"One day apart, like three autumns..."

"Mm."

"Three days apart, that's nine autumns..."

Hua Changdeng suddenly dazed, nearly losing focus.

Realizing something was amiss, he held his breath and concentrated, finding that Xu Xiaoshou had not seized the opportunity to attack or seize his "hunting ghosts," but instead sighed:

"The beloved remains, yet it feels like another lifetime."

"The Dao is always present, but practicing the Dao is difficult, as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

"Sword Immortal Hua, I ask you... after the banana fell to the ground, what did it turn into?"

High in the sky, Bazun'an swayed precariously.

He truly couldn't hear the words "banana" anymore and absolutely couldn't bear to look directly. His toes curled tightly.

Knowing the answer, he hated himself for knowing it in advance, to the point where now, looking at Hua Changdeng, at all the people in the Five Domains earnestly contemplating...

They looked like clowns!

Should I answer?

For a moment, Hua Changdeng didn't want to follow Xu Xiaoshou's rhythm—he had followed it once in the Yunshan Emperor's Realm, and his ancestral stele was stolen.

But Xu Xiaoshou was too serious!

"Coincidentally, I also have a pot of wine."

He suddenly moved, reaching forward, and also produced a golden goblet and a pot of wine.

He poured wine into the cup, and then in the Five Domains, not just ancient sword cultivators...

"I also have wine?"

Even in front of alchemists, golden goblets appeared.

And Shou Ye's ethereal image stood high in the sky, like Bazun'an at that time, pouring wine for the world.

He was even more generous!

He poured wine for everyone!

Shou Ye held the golden goblet before him, raised it high, showing respect to Hua Changdeng, but did not drink from it.

Instead, he recited, and while doing so, sprinkled wine into Linghu, with soaring heroism:

"I have a pot of wine, enough to comfort the dust."

"Pour it all into the rivers and seas, to be drunk by the people of the world."

Even Bazun'an was stunned.

Knowing the answer, he was caught off guard by the last line.

The Five Domains, even more so, paid tribute to Shou Ye's generosity. How could they not give him this face? Amidst shouts of "Good!", they drained their cups.

Hua Changdeng was stuck...

He couldn't believe that Xu Xiaoshou, who had uttered the line "Pour it all into the rivers and seas, to be drunk by the people of the world," was the same Xu Xiaoshou who had played hide-and-seek with him in the Yunshan Emperor Realm.

After taking a deep breath, he grabbed the golden goblet in front of him, drained it, and then threw the cup down with a hearty laugh:

"Good!"

"What a banana!"

"In my opinion, the Dao that the Sword Ancestor could not grasp three hundred thousand years ago, is now perhaps in your Yanmang, Xu Xiaoshou, or above his Bazun'an's Sword-Me... So, show your hand. I will give you this 'drank by the people of the world' face."

Hua Changdeng no longer restrained himself, throwing his Hunting Ghost into the boundless sword sea.

Xu Xiaoshou's heroism was boundless, solely to help Bazun'an gain fame through his enlightenment.

Why not give it a try? Let's see if the scenery after he gathers these twenty-one famous swords and opens the profound gate can truly suppress his three sword ghosts?

The Hunting Ghost entered the sword sea.

As everyone watched, Shou Ye was stunned.

Hua Changdeng looked up, his eyes a little fiery.

But he saw that Bazun'an's state in the high sky was off; his body was clearly stiff, his shoulders trembling, as if he was trying desperately to suppress something...

Reason told him something was wrong.

But the reality, after "a cup of wine was given," and the fanaticism of the Five Domains told him that he should not be the one who was wrong?

Hua Changdeng frowned slightly, his emotions calming a little.

Jinjin also couldn't understand whether his "drank by the people of the world" recitation was too passionate, or if the ultimate realm of the Path of Intent was too overpowered, actually making Hua Changdeng voluntarily give a sword...

This was not in his plan.

My highlight wasn't over yet, and I hadn't even pulled out my Yanmang. I had other ways to deal with your Hunting Ghost!

"Sword Immortal Hua..."

"Hmm?"

"Your understanding..."

"Was I wrong?"

Looking at the solemn Hua Changdeng, Jinjin swallowed hard, he also threw caution to the wind.

He was even trapped by himself, somewhat unable to back down:

"Brother Hua, your tune is too high for the masses."

"Your insight is indeed unique, but my assessment is that it's too high-minded."

Seeing that everyone's emotions had slightly calmed down, Jinjin felt a bit better, gradually regaining control of the rhythm, and said with a smile:

"When the banana fell to the ground, it wasn't as powerful as Xiao Wanfeng, Lei Shuangxing, or Brother Hua described."

"A banana is just a banana. After falling from a height, it gets bruised and swollen all over, and it will only turn into..."

Turn into what?

Hua Changdeng stretched his neck slightly forward.

At this moment, even he anticipated Xu Xiaoshou's correct answer.

The Five Domains were even quieter. Everyone eagerly awaited, and in the broadcast screens of each family, tens of millions of disciples were betting and participating in the discussion.

All was silent!

All eyes were on him!

Jinjin's mouth twitched, and he said lightly:

"When the banana fell to the ground, it got swollen and bruised, so the banana turned into... an eggplant."

As he spoke, Jinjin squeezed, and a banana appeared in his left hand. He shook it.

Then he squeezed again, and an eggplant appeared in his right hand. He swung it.

Compared to a banana, an eggplant is fatter and more purple, indeed giving the feeling of being swollen and bruised from a fall. It was indeed a factual truth.

The entire world, however, fell silent at this moment.

In a location no one saw, the Eighth Sword Immortal, high in the sky, also vanished with a traceless sword art, apparently having some urgent business, no one knew what he was going to do.

Hua Changdeng remained stunned for a full three breaths.

"Buzz..."

Then, he still couldn't recover, his ears were ringing.

It was as if a stirring stick had been forcibly rammed into his brain, disrupting all his previous combat rhythm and thoughts, violently and unreasonably stirring.

Disordered thoughts, mixed with the water that entered his brain from listening to Xu Xiaoshou's nonsense and thinking about it, blended into a paste, almost suffocating him.

Whether the banana eventually swelled and turned purple, Hua Changdeng didn't know.

He only felt his face burning, as if it had swollen after being slapped. His face turned purple!

"Buzz..."

The world buzzed.

Hua Changdeng's red-inked ghost sign was no longer merely red; his eyes were somewhat crimson.

"Poof!"

A strange sound came from Linghu, so grating.

Hua Changdeng looked over and saw Mei Siren, who had understood and realized something, slapping his thigh and laughing wildly, blood spurting from the hole in his chest.

"Buzz!"

Hua Changdeng's mind was again stuffed with countless eggplants. They flew around, almost making him dizzy and killing him.

"Pfft."

Another strange sound came from Linghu.

Hua Changdeng didn't want to look at all, but his peripheral vision involuntarily caught sight of those people holding golden beads and spreading the Dao.

The one called Hong Niang was laughing so hard she was swaying.

Her mouth opened and closed, speaking rapidly, but her words were completely inaudible. He imagined they were all insults and ridicule.

"I..."

Hua Changdeng saw it, he saw it all!

Those who couldn't hold back their laughter burst out laughing.

Those who could hold it back had their shoulders twitching and bodies stiffening, showing precisely the same reactions as Bazun'an earlier.

So...

At that time...

Bazun'an already knew what Xu Xiaoshou was going to do...

"Buzz!"

The ringing in his ears grew louder!

Eggplant! Eggplant! Eggplant!

Hua Changdeng's fingers clenched suddenly, his nails digging into his palms, piercingly painful! As painful as his burning face!

He was almost unable to suppress his outburst, but Xu Xiaoshou's shout from the opposite side silenced everyone:

"Hua Changdeng!"

Hua Changdeng looked over and saw Xu Xiaoshou pulling out Yanmang, splitting down with his sword.

With a resounding crash, Linghu shattered.

All the netherworld phenomena and daytime glows were easily split open by his one sword.

Linghu was destroyed.

Lingyu Mountain was still Lingyu Mountain. Everyone returned to solid ground, as if the previous scene had been a fleeting dream, all fake.

But the boundless sword sea remained.

This told Hua Changdeng that his humiliation was not fake.

"Bang!"

Shou Ye stomped his foot, and a human-sized pit appeared in front of him. Everyone stared at his actions.

He pointed to the pit, looking at himself: "Come here."

What does he mean...?

Hua Changdeng didn't understand.

At this point, he decided not to respond to any more of Xu Xiaoshou's words, nor to think along with his speech. He actively gave up thinking.

Could this work?

Apparently not.

Shou Ye didn't give up speaking. The sword was his true self, and so was being cheap:

"Come here, Hua Changdeng. Aren't you looking for a hole to hide in? I've dug it for you."

After this sentence, the ringing in his ears intensified, even evolving into dizziness.

Hua Changdeng could barely see the world in front of him, but dimly, he could still hear the wild mocking laughter from the Five Domains, and Xu Xiaoshou's cackling follow-up:

"Jump into this hole, I'll bury you properly so you won't hear everyone's ridicule anymore."

"Self-deception is shameful, and evasion is shameful, but it works, doesn't it?"

Hua Changdeng looked around.

Pointing fingers, rampant ridicule.

Eggplant...

He attained Dao in the sword, cultivating three sword ghosts, renowned throughout the world.

And now, he would become the center of attention, remembered by the entire world, because of an "eggplant"!

"Come on... the hole... good stuff..."

"Can't you still tell... Old fool... I, your young master... am... from beginning to end... humiliating you..."