228: The sword hangs in the sky, and the world is silent

Chang'an, behind the Academy.

When that golden Sword Light, without warning, burst forth from the water mirror, dyeing the entire courtyard a golden hue.

Ning Que, who was questioning life, was so startled that he fell onto the ground.

"Teacher! This... what's happening now?!"

The Master did not answer him; he merely stared intently at the golden Divine Sword that had already spanned the entire sky in the water mirror, his usually lazy eyes filled with unprecedented shock.

Even the Retired Emperor Li Shimin, once the ruler of the world, now had his mouth agape, staring blankly at the sky, unable to utter a single word.

"What... what is he doing?" Li Shimin's voice was extremely dry.

Killing the Evil Sword Immortal wasn't enough; he also had to hang the sword in the sky for everyone to see?

Was this a show of force?

Or was it... showing off?

"No, he's not showing off, nor is he displaying his power."

The Master slowly shook his head, his voice deep and complex.

"He is... declaring."

"Declaring?" Ning Que and Li Shimin were both stunned.

"That's right, declaring." The Master let out a long breath, as if exhaling all the shock in his chest.

"He is using the most direct and overbearing method to declare his 'Dao' to this world, to all the hidden existences in the Heavens and on Earth!"

"Declaring who, on this land, is the sole Law-maker!"

"This sword is his 'Law'! It is the Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of all those with ill intentions!"

"From today onwards, this Mortal world belongs to Li."

After the Master finished speaking, he slumped back onto his chair, feeling powerless.

He knew that from this moment on, the structure of this world had been completely altered.

What Haotian Divine Kingdom, what deities, what Daoist and Buddhist sects... in front of this Son of Heaven's Sword, representing the supreme human Imperial will, all would become a thing of the past.

A new, more powerful, and even more insane era had arrived.

Li Shimin listened to the Master's explanation, looking at the majestic and sacred giant sword in the sky, and the last trace of worry and doubt in his heart completely vanished.

He suddenly felt how ridiculous his previous thoughts were.

He had been worried that he would disrupt the world.

But he had already reached a height he couldn't even imagine, beginning to use the world as a chessboard and gods and demons as pieces, to strategize the entire world.

"Alas, alas..." He shook his head with a bitter smile, "It's time for me, the Retired Emperor, to fully retire and enjoy my grandchildren."

Northern Liang, Martial Emperor City.

Li Chungang, who was on the city wall, drinking and waiting for Deng Tai'a to spar in swordsmanship, suddenly trembled, and his wine gourd fell to the ground.

He abruptly looked up, gazing towards the east.

He saw that the originally clear sky had, at some unknown point, been enveloped by a vast golden Sword Light.

At the center of that Sword Light, the outline of a majestic and sacred giant sword was faintly visible.

"I... I'll be damned..."

This old Sword God, who had lived for over a hundred years, couldn't help but curse.

He could clearly feel that his own sword, the "Wooden Horse Ox," which had gained sentience and was hidden behind him, was trembling violently and uncontrollably!

That was not fear.

But a kind of... submission!

It was the instinctive worship of a lower-Ranked sword upon seeing the Dominator of all swords!

"Old Deng... did... did you see it?" Li Chungang's voice was trembling.

"I saw it."

Deng Tai'a, who was beside him, replied simply as always.

But his hands, which had been clasped tightly behind his back, clutching the hilt of the Tai'a Sword, betrayed his extremely turbulent inner thoughts.

His peach blossom eyes were fixed on the golden Divine Sword in the sky, devoid of his previous Battle Intent, leaving only a fanaticism akin to "pilgrimage."

"What... what kind of sword is this?" Li Chungang murmured.

He wanted to use all his lifelong knowledge of the Dao of Sword to understand and analyze it.

But he sadly realized that all his knowledge seemed so pale and ridiculous in front of that sword.

That was no longer "sword techniques," nor "Sword Intent," nor even "Dao of Sword."

That was "authority"!

It was "Law"!

It was "Heavenly Dao"!

"All swords under Heaven should honor this one."

After a long pause, Deng Taia finally squeezed out these eight words through gritted teeth.

Li Chungang heard this and fell silent.

He knew that Deng Tai'a was right.

He suddenly felt how ignorant and ridiculous his previous idea of challenging that emperor in Chang'an was.

Challenge him?

What would he use to challenge him?

His broken wooden sword, which was still trembling in front of him?

"Go! Go now!"

Li Chungang suddenly stood up.

"To Chang'an!"

"This time, it's not to challenge!"

"It's to... seek the Dao!"

On the shore of the East Sea, an unnamed small island.

Yan Shisan, who was silently repairing his damaged Sword Heart on the coastal rocks, also saw the golden Sword Light that spanned the sky.

The Sword of Fate in his hand made a crisp "clang" sound and fell directly to the ground.

For the first time, his perpetually expressionless, icy face showed a bewildered expression.

If Zhonglou's "Magic Beam Cannon" had shown him the terror of the Dao of "Destruction" and created cracks in his rock-solid Sword Heart,

Then now, Li Chengqian's "Son of Heaven's Sword" showed him a whole new world he had never imagined.

It turns out that a sword can not only be used for destruction.

It can also be used for... protection.

It turns out that the ultimate of the Dao of Sword is not slaughter, but... order.

"I... was wrong..."

Yan Shisan looked at his hands, stained with countless blood, and murmured.

His Sword Heart, which pursued ultimate slaughter, shattered at this moment.

However, upon the shattered ruins, a new seed, representing "protection" and "order," quietly took root and sprouted.

At the peak of Shu Mountain.

Li Chengqian slowly withdrew his hand that held the "Son of Heaven's Sword."

And the golden Divine Sword, which had spanned the entire sky, also retracted its light and rapidly shrunk.

But it did not dissipate, nor did it break down into its original myriad Flying Swords.

It ultimately transformed into a tangible giant sword, about a hundred zhang in size, with golden light flowing and divine script swirling on its blade, quietly suspended directly above Shu Mountain's main peak, over the ruins of the Demon Lock Tower.

A vast, majestic, sacred, and profoundly imbued with the essence of "order" and "protection" aura emanated from the giant sword, like an invisible net, enveloping the entire Shu Mountain and even the surrounding hundreds of li.

Under the shroud of this aura, everyone clearly felt that the Spiritual Qi in the world had become unprecedentedly pure, and the impure evil Qi hidden in the mountains and forests was completely cleansed.

The entire world seemed to have been washed clean.

"This... this sword..."

Daoist Qingwei and the Elders of Shu Mountain stared blankly at the golden giant sword suspended above their heads, all of them dumbfounded.

They could feel that their treasured swords, whose "Sword Souls" had been drawn away, had not returned.

Their "souls" had forever merged into this even greater Divine Sword, becoming a part of it.

This was an unprecedented honor!

"Your Majesty... this... this Divine Sword..."

Daoist Qingwei, emboldened, asked with a trembling voice.

"Oh, this?"

Li Chengqian glanced at the giant sword in the sky and casually said, "Didn't your Demon Lock Tower break? I found it displeasing, so I conveniently helped you fix it."

"From today onwards, this sword will be the new Demon Lock Tower."

"With it here, within a thousand li radius, no demon, monster, or ghost shall dare to cause trouble."

"Additionally, it can also suppress the Luck of your Shu Mountain, making the Spiritual Qi here ten or eight times denser than elsewhere. Consider it my compensation for your hard work."

He spoke these words lightly, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

What he thought in his heart was: "Hmph, a bunch of good-for-nothings, causing trouble yourselves and still needing me to clean up your mess. This sword will serve as your overseer, lest you cause any more trouble in the future. As for that bit of Spiritual Qi, consider it my electricity bill."

However, his words, heard by Daoist Qingwei and the people of Shu Mountain, were no less than a divine oracle from the Nine Heavens!

A new Demon Lock Tower?

Suppressing Luck?

Spiritual Qi ten times denser?

This... what kind of divine grace! What kind of fortune!

"Your Majesty is benevolent! Your Majesty is sagacious!"

Daoist Qingwei was so excited that old tears streamed down his face. Leading thousands of Shu Mountain Disciples, he once again knelt before Li Chengqian, desperately kowtowing.

"We, the entire Shu Mountain, are willing to guard this sword for Your Majesty for generations! We will brave fire and water for the Great Tang Empire, unhesitatingly facing ten thousand deaths!"

In their eyes, this sword was no longer a simple "overseer."

This was the supreme honor bestowed upon their Shu Mountain by His Majesty! It was the foundation for their Shu Mountain School to stand at the pinnacle of the cultivation world from now on!

"Alright, alright, no more kneeling, it's annoying to watch."

Li Chengqian waved his hand impatiently.

He hated these scenes of constant kneeling the most; they lacked any originality.

"All of you, rise."

"Yes! Yes!"

Qing Wei and the others quickly scrambled to their feet, standing perfectly straight, like elementary School students awaiting a lecture, their faces filled with reverence and fanaticism.

Li Chengqian looked at their appearance and nodded with satisfaction.

He had admonished them enough; it was time to give them some benefits and also take care of the main business.

"Qing Wei."

"Old... old subject is here!" Daoist Qingwei quickly responded, even changing his self-address from "this humble Daoist" to "old subject."

"That 'Path of Ruthlessness' you Shu Mountain pursued before, I've seen it, and it's nothing but dog shit."

Li Chengqian criticized without reservation.

"Cultivating to the point where you forget you're a person, what's the point of cultivating then? Just find a piece of tofu and smash your head against it."

His crude and direct words made the Elders of Shu Mountain lower their heads in shame.

They wanted to retort but couldn't utter a single word.

Because the facts were right before their eyes: their proud "Path of Ruthlessness" ultimately produced the Evil Sword Immortal, a creature that almost destroyed the world.

What face did they have to retort?

"From today onwards, the Dao of your Shu Mountain has changed."

Li Chengqian announced in an undeniable tone.

"Your new Dao will be called 'Protection.'"

"Protection of what?"

"Protection of my Empire, protection of my people, protection of the order and peace on this land."

“Your swords are not for showing off and Ascension; they are for slaying demons and devils, and for eliminating harm for the people.”

“From now on, the Shu Mountain School will be incorporated into the Bad People System of our Great Tang, forming the ‘Demon Slaying Division,’ specifically responsible for handling demonic and monstrous incidents across the land.”

“Qing Wei, you will be the first Head of the Demon Slaying Division, holding the Rank of third-grade official, and enjoying imperial salary.”

“Do you understand?”

Li Chengqian’s words directly defined the future of the Shu Mountain School.

From a transcendent Xianxia School, it directly transformed into a violent Law enforcement department of the Great Tang Empire.

Daoist Qingwei, upon hearing this, not only showed no resistance but trembled with excitement!

Incorporated into the imperial System?

Establishing the Demon Slaying Division?

Appointed as a third-grade official?

This… this was simply a great fortune!

This meant that their Shu Mountain School, from then on, would be “officially certified” Immortals! They would be civil servants on the imperial payroll!

This was infinitely more promising than their previous ascetic cultivation in the mountains!

“Your humble subject! Your humble subject bows in gratitude for Your Majesty’s divine grace!”

Daoist Qingwei knelt again, this time sincerely and with immense gratitude.

“All of us in Shu Mountain will dedicate ourselves to Your Majesty until death!”

“Mm.”

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction.

Done.

Another powerful enforcement department was brought under control. If any more demons or monsters caused trouble in the future, I wouldn't need to personally intervene. I could just let these 'temporary workers' from the Demon Slaying Division handle it.

I truly am a Genius at management.

He ignored Qing Wei, who was still kowtowing in gratitude on the ground, and turned to leave.

The purpose of his visit to Shu Mountain had been achieved: the Evil Sword Immortal was vanquished, the Shu Mountain School was absorbed, and a landmark building was conveniently erected.

Perfect.

It was time to return to Chang'an and continue enjoying his decadent life.

“Your Majesty, please wait!”

Just then, Daoist Qingwei suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to him.

“Your humble subject… Your humble subject has one more request!”

“Speak,” Li Chengqian said without turning his head.

“That… that…” Daoist Qingwei rubbed his hands a little awkwardly, “Your Majesty, you see, the divine sword you forged is so sacred and majestic, it should be the number one divine weapon of our Daoist sect! I wonder… does it have a revered title?”

“So that we may worship and admire your supreme Divine Might in the future!”

His words were purely meant to flatter.

In his opinion, such an awesome sword definitely needed a resounding name.

Something like “Immortal Slaying,” “God Slaughtering,” or “Heaven Opening.”

However, Li Chengqian merely pouted and casually said:

“It’s just a broken sword, what name does it need?”

“If I absolutely have to name it…”

“Let’s call it ‘Great Tang Royal Demon Extermination Number One.’ ”

“Simple, direct, easy to remember.”

After speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.

Leaving behind a bewildered Daoist Qingwei and thousands of Shu Mountain Disciples in disarray in the wind.

Great… Great Tang Royal Demon Extermination Number One?

What… what kind of name is this?!

Your Majesty, isn’t your taste in names a bit too… down-to-earth?!

Just as Li Chengqian gave that divine sword an incredibly down-to-earth name, then dusted himself off and left, hiding his accomplishments and fame deeply.

In the distant Haotian Divine Kingdom, which towered above the Human World.

That sacred realm, composed of pure light and the coldest Law, was now experiencing an unprecedented and violent upheaval!

In the deepest part of the God Kingdom, upon that magnificent, inexpressibly grand divine throne.

That humanoid silhouette, formed of light and whose face was indistinct—Haotian—His body of light, which had always been as still as an ancient well, seemingly unchanging, was now flickering violently.

Like a light bulb with an unstable signal.

Just moments ago, He had witnessed the entire process of Li Chengqian forging the “Son of Heaven’s Sword” and cleaving the Evil Sword Immortal with one strike, all through His omnipresent God Kingdom perspective.

If Zhonglou's instant kill of His Knights of Light in the Western Regions with the “Demonic Light Cannon” had made Him feel “troublesome” for the first time.

If Li Chengqian's imperial edict of “Scram,” which remotely severed His “Haotian Finger,” had made Him feel “anger” and “dread” for the first time.

Then now, when He personally witnessed that “Son of Heaven’s Sword,” which fused the beliefs of all beings and the Luck of the nation, an emotion He had never experienced, and which, in His logical programming, should not even exist, was born for the first time, and indeed, the first time in history, from within His pure Law Origin.

That was—fear!

Not the physiological fear of Mortals caused by a threat to life.

But a more fundamental, more Advanced, absolute logical and existential fear, akin to a “System” encountering a “formatting” program!

“Threat Rank… judgment error.”

“Target… not a ‘virus’.”

“Target… is a ‘World Rule System’ of the same Rank, or even… a higher Rank!”

“Conflict analysis… Our ‘Rules’ are being forcibly overwritten and rewritten by the opponent’s ‘Rules’!”

“Failure rate of confrontation… 99.99%!”

“Optimal solution… Optimal solution… calculating…”

Cold, emotionless logical commands flashed and computed frantically within Haotian’s core.

His body, composed of light, also flickered faster and faster, and the entire Haotian Divine Kingdom began to tremble and collapse violently due to the fierce conflict in His core logic.

He couldn't understand.

Why was this happening?

He was the “Heaven” of this world, the supreme Dominator of this world.

He represented the cold, indifferent, and absolutely fair “Heavenly Dao.”

All beings, in His eyes, were but straw dogs.

Dynasty changes, birth, old age, sickness, and death were merely His means of maintaining the “balance” of this world.

But now, the “Dao” displayed by that Mortal Emperor, Li Chengqian, completely subverted His cognition!

It was a Dao filled with the Qi of “humanity”!

It was a Dao that condensed the fragile, minuscule, yet incredibly resilient “beliefs” and “emotions” of billions of Mortals into a terrifying power capable of slaying gods!

It was a Dao filled with “protection,” “order,” and “prosperity,” completely contrary to His “cold” and “indifferent” Heavenly Dao!

Haotian looked at His vast, boundless, pure, and holy, yet empty and lifeless, God Kingdom of Light.

Then, He contrasted it with that Mortal Emperor, who, with just one command, could stir the beliefs of billions of subjects, gather the immense Luck of the entire nation, and forge that “Son of Heaven’s Sword” that even made Him tremble.

For the first time, He doubted His own “Dao.”

Perhaps… He was wrong from the beginning?

No!

I am not wrong!

It is this world that is wrong! It is these Mortals, full of emotions and desires, constantly disrupting the balance of the world!

I am the correct one!

What I must do is cleanse all this “impurity”! Let this world return to its most primitive, purest “nothingness”!

A mad and fanatical thought gained the upper hand in Haotian’s core logic.

His violently flickering body of light suddenly stabilized.

But the light on His body was no longer the sacred, warm pure white it had been before.

Instead, it carried a hint of chilling, mad, ghastly white!

“Analysis complete.”

“Optimal solution generated.”

“Since conventional ‘antivirus’ programs cannot clear the target.”

“Then… initiate the final ‘formatting’ program.”

“Restart the World!”

Haotian slowly raised His head, and on His blurred face, two ghastly white points of light seemed to ignite, piercing through endless time and space, fixating on the Human World, on the direction of Chang'an City.

“Li Chengqian…”

“Since you like to protect your Human World so much.”

“Then I will…”

“Completely destroy everything you protect!”

A Divine Might, more terrifying than any before, filled with the pure intent of “destruction” and “ending,” erupted from Haotian’s body!

The entire Haotian Divine Kingdom, under this Divine Might, began an irreversible collapse!

Countless Light Qi were frantically extracted and compressed by Him!

He was prepared, at all costs, even at the cost of destroying His own God Kingdom, which He had managed for countless eons, to condense a strike powerful enough to completely wipe out the entire Human World!

He was going all out against Li Chengqian!

However, just as He was about to complete this final, most insane charge.

A demonic sound, full of laziness and disdain, suddenly echoed in His God Kingdom.

“Hey, I say, you bird person, are you a sore loser?”

“You can’t win, so you want to flip the table?”

“Have you asked for my Boss’s opinion?”

Haotian was startled and looked in the direction of the voice.

He saw at the edge of His collapsing God Kingdom, a handsome Demon God, clad in black and red ferocious demonic armor, with twin wings on his back and a full head of red hair, leisurely carrying an exaggerated demonic sword, watching Him with an expression of enjoying a good show.

It was none other than the Demon Lord Zhonglou!

“You… how did you get in?!”

Haotian exclaimed in disbelief.

This was His God Kingdom! It was His absolute Domain!

Without His permission, even a God of the same Rank could never have intruded so silently!

“Get in?”

Zhonglou laughed at the words.

The smile was filled with self-evident arrogance and disdain.

“I come when I want, and I leave when I want.”

“The world is vast, and there is nowhere Zhonglou cannot go.”

“As for you…”

Zhonglou slowly pointed the demonic sword, which he had been carrying on his shoulder, at Haotian on the divine throne, his eyes burning with an eerie blue flame, filled with soaring Battle Intent!

“Just now, you seemed very angry, preparing a big move?”

“Come, come, don’t be shy!”

“Hit me here!”

“My Boss said that after he deals with that little fish, he’ll leave you, this big guy, for me to play with!”

“I’ve been… waiting for you for a long time!”