Chapter 2159: The Heavens Tremble (Part 2)

In Sword God Heaven, the Sword Cottage was the most mysterious place in the entire God Realm, second only to Free Heaven.

Unlike the magnificent and grand palaces of other emperors, the Sword Cottage was just a humble, unremarkable thatched hut.

"Your Majesty..." A middle-aged man approached, about to speak, when he was interrupted. "I already know," a voice said. "A genius proficient in swordsmanship has appeared on the Divine Mountain!"

"Yes..." The middle-aged man quickly nodded.

"I have observed his swordsmanship," the voice from within the hut said calmly. "It's truly impressive, even distinct from our own style. However... he is not the one the Sword Cottage is waiting for."

"But... the Bell of King Conferment has rung," the middle-aged man stammered, then urgently added, "If we don't act quickly, he might be recruited by another faction. Then, during the next spiritual energy tide, our Sword Cottage will receive fewer allocations, and our territory might even be diminished..."

"Fewer allocations don't matter, and losing territory is insignificant," the voice from the hut stated. "What we seek is an independent sword intent and personal comprehension, not rigid adherence to doctrine!"

"Even the best learning is merely imitation," the voice continued. "Don't concern yourself with the spiritual energy tide. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the person I've been waiting for has already emerged. I will go find him myself!"

"Understood." Seeing that the Emperor had made up his mind, the middle-aged man said no more, bowed, and withdrew.

"Sigh!" After the middle-aged man departed, a sigh resonated from within the hut, a sound of contemplation mixed with profound bewilderment and doubt. "Is what you are doing truly right, or fundamentally wrong?"

On a high mountain wreathed in clouds and mist, a tall old man gazed at the numerous disciples seated before him.

Profound words flowed from his lips, sounding like celestial music to his audience. As they listened, their cultivation continuously advanced.

"Alright, that will be all for today!" Suddenly, the old man paused and looked in a particular direction.

"Master, has something happened?" A middle-aged man, sensing something was amiss, bowed respectfully with clasped hands and inquired.

Normally, the Master would complete an entire lesson point before concluding the class. Stopping halfway through clearly indicated an unexpected development.

"The one from Free Heaven has set a date: the fifteenth of next month, for a duel with me!" The old man said with a slight smile, as if discussing someone else entirely.

He showed no sign of stress regarding the impending duel.

"Free Heaven is the foremost of the Nine Heavens, overseeing all realms... Master, challenging that Emperor... I fear..." The middle-aged man's eyes were filled with concern.

While highly confident in his Master's power, Free Heaven was, after all, the premier realm of the Divine World, and its Emperor was hailed as the Divine World's foremost figure. Contesting with such a powerful being naturally caused apprehension.

Most critically, this agreed-upon death match was entirely different from their previous, less serious contests.

"It's alright," the old man replied, a smile still gracing his face as he stroked his beard. "Since it's a duel, there will naturally be victors and vanquished. No one wins forever, and no one loses forever! All one can do is give their best."

"But... to prepare for this fight, your opponent specifically descended to the lower realms to seek out the Spring and Autumn Canon, intending to understand you better and ascertain your true strength," the middle-aged man pressed, a look of anxiety in his eyes. "I fear that by now agreeing to the duel, he might already know your weaknesses. Among masters of equal caliber, even a small misstep can lead to extreme peril..."

When Master initially challenged the Emperor of Free Heaven, the Emperor had consistently refused. However, after a trip to the lower realms, the Emperor returned and immediately set the date, clearly indicating he was now prepared.

In a confrontation between masters, the margin for error is minute. Should any flaw of the Master be discovered and exploited, the situation would become extremely perilous.

"What if my weaknesses are discovered?" the old man declared, raising his head with an air of profound confidence. "Defeating me won't be that simple!"

Having successfully challenged so many Great Emperors throughout his journey, his power had long reached the pinnacle of the Divine World.

"We naturally have faith in your strength, Master," the middle-aged man continued, "but I don't understand why you must engage in this fight, and especially why you agreed to a life-or-death pact..."

The Master had already earned the recognition of eight Emperors, and the title 'Heaven-Defying Great Emperor' was truly well-deserved and acknowledged by all in the Divine World. Why then was it still necessary to compete with the Emperor of Free Heaven?

And crucially, why a death pact?

"This is destiny; we cannot avoid it, and you wouldn't understand," the old man said, shaking his head. "Very well, regarding next month's competition, should I unfortunately fall, remain calm and make no other moves. Wait for my true successor to appear, and then follow his commands!"

"A successor? Your successor, Master?" The middle-aged man looked puzzled.

They had followed their Master, traversing the realms, for countless years, and had never once heard mention of a successor!

"Indeed. He possesses abilities identical to mine and also hails from the Master Teacher Continent," the old man said with a slight smile.

"Then... what is the name of this successor, Master? And how will we confirm his identity?" the middle-aged man promptly asked.

"There's no need for confirmation; you will recognize him when you see him."

Without further explanation, the old man's gaze deepened. "As for his name... I can tell you. He is called... Zhang Xuan!"

In an unknown room within Free Heaven.

Dense steam filled the room, swirling with heat, obscuring the view.

*Splash!* With the sound of water rippling, a flawless, graceful figure rose from within.

She had raven black hair, skin so delicate it seemed to glow, and a face of unparalleled beauty.

With a flick of her exquisite hand, a sheer veil draped over her, concealing her elegant figure.

"Miss!" A woman in green approached, offering a comb.

The beautiful woman slowly combed her long hair, every movement she made as graceful as an unfurling scroll.

"Has the message been sent?" the beautiful woman asked calmly.

"Yes," the woman in green nodded.

"Has there been a reply?"

"Not yet," the woman in green replied, shaking her head. After a moment's thought, she added, "However, we did manage to gather the information you asked us to investigate, Miss!"

"Oh?" The beautiful woman's eyes lit up, and she looked over eagerly.

"In Nightfall City, a young man named Zhang Xuan has appeared," the woman in green reported. "Many of his disciples are exceptionally talented. During their quest for divine spiritual energy on the Divine Mountain, they triggered numerous Bells of King Conferment!"

The woman in green spoke quickly.

"It seems it's him then..." A faint smile touched the beautiful woman's lips, her expression softening to one of slight sweetness.

"Miss, would you like to go see him?" Noticing her mistress's demeanor and instantly understanding her thoughts, the woman in green promptly asked.

"No, not yet. These next few days, I must prepare for battle, and I cannot see anyone, especially not him. Otherwise, I fear I might lose my resolve to fight and stop altogether." The beautiful woman shook her head, her expression complex, her thoughts unreadable.

"If you waver, Miss... then perhaps it's better not to fight. That Heaven-Defying Great Emperor is incredibly powerful; even eight Great Emperors have lost to him. I fear for you, Miss..." The woman in green was filled with worry.

While her mistress's strength was indeed unparalleled, her opponent was by no means weak.

He had blazed across the heavens like a meteor, his fame echoing throughout the Divine World in a mere forty years. Everyone knew of him. While the specifics of his battles against the eight Emperors remained unknown, the fact that they acknowledged his status implied he had won all eight encounters!

To the entire Divine World, he was unmatched in that era.

With such a formidable presence, it would be wise to avoid him. Even if a duel were to occur, a win or loss would be perfectly normal. Why, then, was a life-or-death duel insisted upon, where one must surely die?

"It's unavoidable. I must defeat him; there is no other path," the beautiful woman asserted, shaking her head. "This is my mission, an inescapable responsibility!"

"But..." The woman in green began, her voice filled with urgency.

"There are no 'buts.' There's no need to say more; this decision has been made, and further words are useless!" The beautiful woman waved her hand dismissively. "Now, I am going into secluded cultivation..."

With that, her body shimmered and she vanished from the spot.

"Miss..." Surprised by her mistress's stubbornness, the woman in green, despite her reluctance, eventually nodded and said no more.