212: Chapter 212 Wan'er Unleashes: Sword Qi Soars Thirty Thousand Miles into the Sky

Boom—!!!

That sword hum was like the furious roar of a Sword God slumbering since time immemorial.

A terrifying sound wave, mixed with tangible sword qi, erupted from the Listening Sword Pavilion, spreading madly in all directions.

The palace walls of the Imperial Palace, which had weathered countless years and were carved with countless defensive arrays, were sliced open like tofu before this razor-sharp aura, leaving behind shocking cracks.

The night sky was torn asunder.

The myriad stars in the sky seemed to dim at this moment, leaving only that silver-white light pillar soaring from the Listening Sword Pavilion. It resembled a giant sword plunged upside down into the firmament, radiating a chill that made souls tremble.

In the Demon Empress's Bedchamber...

Xu Chen's expression changed drastically. The lingering amorousness and languor in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by unprecedented gravity and anxiety.

"It's the innate sword qi going berserk!"

Xu Chen roared. He didn't bother to straighten his slightly disheveled robes, nor even put on his shoes properly. His entire body transformed into a stream of purple-gold light, smashed through the window lattice, and shot out.

"Husband!"

Behind him, Luo Hongyi propped up her sore and weak body, her beautiful eyes filled with worry as she looked in the direction Xu Chen had disappeared.

Under normal circumstances, she would have immediately followed to investigate. But at this moment, having just endured a "great battle," and with her vitality not yet fully recovered after childbirth, her legs felt as soft as noodles.

"Sister Waner... you absolutely must hold on."

Luo Hongyi bit her red lips, forcibly suppressing the unease in her heart. She sat cross-legged and began circulating her demonic arts to recover her strength.

...

Listening Sword Pavilion.

This place was originally an extremely quiet and elegant location within the Xu Family's Imperial Palace. It was surrounded by 'Purple Bamboo Sword Trees' transplanted from the Eastern Sea. Usually, when a breeze passed, the rustling bamboo leaves sounded like sword hums, making it the perfect place for comprehending the sword.

But now, this purple bamboo forest had become a slaughterfield.

Countless violent sword qi spewed indiscriminately from the pavilion. Those iron-hard purple bamboos were instantly ground into powder. Bamboo fragments flew everywhere like a green blizzard.

The ground was even more horrifying. Deep, bottomless ravines crisscrossed it, as if plowed by countless sharp blades.

"Young Master! Young Master, you've finally come!"

In the safe area outside the pavilion, a group of maids and midwives responsible for attending were slumped on the ground, their faces pale, trembling, their eyes filled with terror.

"What happened?!"

Xu Chen's figure landed heavily on the ground, shattering the green bricks beneath. He grabbed the lead old Midwife, his entire body radiating intimidating killing intent.

"Y-young Master, spare me!"

The old Midwife was scared out of her wits. Pointing a trembling finger at the pavilion shrouded in silver light, she sobbed:

"Lady Waner... half an hour ago, she suddenly said her stomach hurt, and then... then it became like this..."

"What's in her belly isn't a child at all, it's... it's a sword! I've delivered babies my whole life, I've never seen anything like this... Our spiritual shields were sliced apart the moment we got close. We simply can't get in!"

"Get lost!"

Xu Chen shoved the Midwife aside, his gaze fixed intently on the precarious pavilion before him.

Indeed, as the Midwife said, what was the Listening Sword Pavilion now? It was no delivery room. It was clearly an erupting ancient sword burial mound!

The overflowing sword qi was so intense that even Xu Chen's quasi-Saint-level physical body felt a stinging pain.

"Waner!"

Xu Chen roared, his voice infused with majestic spiritual power, trying to pierce through the sword qi storm. But it was like a clay ox entering the sea—there was no response.

"Damn it!"

Xu Chen gritted his teeth, a flash of determination in his eyes.

No matter what kind of dragon's den or tiger's lair it was inside, even if it were a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, he had to charge in!

"Hongmeng Golden Body! Activate!"

Xu Chen inwardly roared, madly circulating the Hongmeng Creation Art within his body.

*Hum—*

A layer of dazzling purple-gold divine radiance instantly covered his entire body, coalescing into an indestructible suit of Hongmeng battle armor on his surface.

*Boom!*

Xu Chen stomped his foot, his entire body shooting forward like a cannonball, crashing headlong into that violent silver storm.

*Shi shi shi—!!!*

The moment he made contact, those countless sword qi strands, like sharks smelling blood, frantically swarmed to slice and dice him. They scraped against the Hongmeng shield, emitting a teeth-grating friction sound, sparks flying everywhere.

"Get lost!"

Xu Chen's eyes turned crimson. Without using any weapon, he simply swung his fists, using the most brute-force posture to smash through the waves of sword qi blocking his path.

One step, two steps, three steps...

Finally.

*Bang!*

With a loud crash, the Listening Sword Pavilion's door, crafted from ten-thousand-year-old agarwood, was kicked to pieces by Xu Chen.

He charged inside.

And when he saw the scene within the room, his heart clenched violently, the pain almost suffocating.

Inside the room, all the furniture and decorations had long been reduced to dust.

Nangong Waner lay alone on the cold jade bed at the center of the formation.

Her plain white robes were now stained crimson with blood—whether it seeped from within her body or was from cuts by the ubiquitous sword qi in the air was unknown.

Her face, usually cold and immortal-like, was now deathly pale without a trace of color. Cold sweat had soaked her hair, plastering it messily against her cheeks.

And on her highly swollen abdomen, a dazzling silver light cluster, like a miniature sun, was throbbing violently.

Each throb was accompanied by a tangible sword qi piercing out from her body.

That wasn't a child kicking.

It was trying... to burst out of her womb!

"Hus... husband..."

Seeing Xu Chen's figure appear, a glimmer of light finally returned to Nangong Waner's already somewhat unfocused eyes.

She struggled to reach out a hand, wanting to grasp something, but it trembled in mid-air due to the intense pain.

"I... I'm fine..."

Even at a time like this, this stubborn sword-obsessed woman was still trying to comfort Xu Chen.

"Shut up! Don't speak!"

Xu Chen rushed to the bedside in a flash, tightly gripping her ice-cold hand.

With that grip, Xu Chen's heart grew even colder.

The meridians within Waner's body had already been riddled with holes, shredded by that rampaging innate sword qi.

If she weren't a sword cultivator herself, with formidable willpower, she would have likely died from the pain long ago.

"This little rascal! Daring to hurt his mother before he's even born!"

Xu Chen looked at the light cluster "raising havoc in the Heavenly Palace" within Waner's belly. His eyes held both heartache and anger.

This child's aptitude was too heaven-defying.

An innate Sword Embryo, unparalleled throughout the ages.

This was originally a tremendous opportunity, but for the mother at this moment, it was a fatal calamity.

His sword qi was too strong, and his newborn body was too weak, unable to fully contain this power. This caused the sword qi to leak out, backlashing against the mother's body.

"Hongmeng Suppression! Hold!"

Xu Chen didn't dare hesitate in the slightest. He directly mobilized the purest Hongmeng Origin within his body, channeling it through their joined hands, continuously transmitting it into Nangong Waner's body.

Hongmeng Purple Qi, the origin of all things, encompassing and suppressing everything.

*Hum—*

As that domineering yet gentle purple qi poured in, Nangong Waner felt the tearing agony within her body ease slightly.

The originally violent silver sword qi, upon encountering the Hongmeng Purple Qi, seemed to meet a stern father. It instantly became much more docile, forcibly suppressed back into the fetus's body.

"Hah..."

Nangong Waner let out a long breath, her tightly furrowed brows finally relaxing a little.

"Husband... am I... very useless?"

Looking at Xu Chen's sweaty, anxious face, a flicker of guilt passed through her eyes. She said weakly, "Sister Hongyi gave birth so smoothly, but when it's my turn... you have to risk yourself to save me."

"You're a sword cultivator, she's a demon cultivator. Are your constitutions the same?"

Xu Chen glared at her. While maintaining the spiritual energy transfer, he scolded irritably, "Besides, this child takes after you—an out-and-out sword fanatic. Wanting to practice the sword the moment he's born. Can that be blamed on you?"

"Takes... after me?"

Hearing this, a faint blush actually appeared on Nangong Waner's pale face. A fanatical pride, understood only by sword cultivators, lit up in her eyes.

"Really?"

She struggled to lift her head, looking at her own belly. "...An innate Sword Embryo?"

"Nonsense!"

Xu Chen snorted. "More outrageous than an innate Sword Embryo. Looking at his posture, I think he wants to achieve Sainthood the moment he's born."

"Good... that's wonderful..."

Nangong Waner murmured to herself, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

For a woman who regarded the sword as her life, giving birth to a sword path prodigy with even higher talent than herself brought her more joy than anything.

"Ah—!"

Right at that moment, a sudden change occurred.

As if unwilling to be suppressed by the Hongmeng Purple Qi, the silver light cluster erupted with an even more ferocious counterattack.

*Zheng—!!!*

An extremely sharp sword hum exploded directly within Nangong Waner's body.

*Pfft!*

Nangong Waner violently spat out a mouthful of blood. Her body convulsed violently, instantly arching into a shrimp-like shape.

"Not good! The water broke! He's coming!"

Xu Chen's face changed dramatically.

This power was too strong. Simple suppression was no longer viable. If he forcefully blocked it, it would only make the eruption more violent, possibly even shattering Waner's dantian directly!

"To block is inferior to guiding!"

A flash of inspiration struck Xu Chen's mind.

"Waner! Listen to me!"

Xu Chen pressed his hands on her shoulders, shouting loudly. His voice, like a great bell, struck deep into her soul:

"Don't think of it as a child! Think of it as a sword!"

"A peerless divine sword being tempered, about to be born!"

"Circulate your 'Supreme Emotionless Sword Canon'! Don't suppress it, guide it! Use your Sword Intent to assimilate it! Tell it who its master is! Who its mother is!"

"Gui... guide it?"

In her agony, Nangong Waner's gaze grew dazed for a moment before suddenly focusing.

Yes.

I am Nangong Waner.

I am the youngest Sword Chief of Beyond Heaven.

How can my child hurt me?

*Hum—*

A Sword Intent—cold, aloof, transcending all things—suddenly erupted from Nangong Waner's weakened body.

That wasn't spiritual power; it was pure will.

At this moment, she was no longer a helpless woman in labor, but a grandmaster in the midst of forging a sword.

The two Sword Intents met within her body.

At first, it was a fierce collision, like two divine weapons clashing.

But under the mediation of Xu Chen's Hongmeng Purple Qi, and that wonderful sensation of blood connection, these two Sword Intents actually began to... resonate.

*Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!*

The clear sword hums became pleasant to the ear, no longer destructive, but a kind of cheering, a longing to see the light of day.

"Now is the time!"

A brilliant light shone in Xu Chen's eyes as he shouted:

"Waner! Push!"

"Ah—!!!"

Nangong Waner threw her head back and let out a long cry.

This cry was not a painful wail, but a sword hum that pierced the clouds!

*Rumble rumble—!!!*

The next moment.

The Listening Sword Pavilion's already precarious roof completely disintegrated into dust under the impact of this terrifying Sword Intent, vanishing between heaven and earth.

A silver-white light pillar, dazzling beyond description like an inverted Milky Way, shot straight into the heavens, instantly illuminating the entire night sky.

Within that boundless divine radiance...

A tender, yet supremely majestic cry finally resounded throughout heaven and earth.