Chapter 110: The Sword Gathers Starlight over Lin'an; the Elder of the Ancestral Temple Breaks Through Three Thousand Armor with a Single Step [Please Vote]

Before the Tianxuan Palace, above the white jade plaza that seemed paved with pristine snow from the heavens, the explosive force of consciousness shattered like shards of broken glass, scattering in every direction.

A shockwave of collapsing consciousness rolled outward, vast and mighty.

With a single punch and a single strike of his sword, the youth had shattered the Primordial Spirit Array so meticulously laid out by the Emperor of the Zhao family.

This youth, who had been ignored by both the schemers and the participants of this grand design due to his perceived weakness, had now shattered a formidable Primordial Spirit Array with a legendary grace sufficient to be recorded in the annals of history.

He tore through the darkness to welcome the dawn.

With his blade, he slew demons; with his fist, he vanquished monsters, causing the pure aura of the mortal realm to surge and fill the universe.

It was an indomitable spirit, soaring to the heavens, daring to challenge the very firmament. Under the weight of this spirit, it seemed as if all things in heaven and earth were contained within that single stroke.

As the Primordial Spirit Array disintegrated, misty fragments of consciousness drifted, and the rising winds swirled around the youth bathed in the white smoke of heroic spirit.

At this moment, the youth still kept his fist clenched, his eyes shining bright like brilliant stars in the night, radiating an indescribable excitement and profound realization.

Although An Le had relied on the boundless "Heroic Spirit Invocation" to summon the smoke of heroism and gain that special combat enhancement, that punch—which shattered the Primordial Spirit Array and broke the long-cherished schemes of the Zhao Emperor—possessed a spirit of unyielding determination and an invincible momentum.

With that punch and that sword, he feared nothing—not the Ninth Realm, not a Bodhisattva, not even the gods of heaven—he would meet them all with a single strike of his blade!

This was a unique insight into the way of the sword. In this moment, An Le seemed to have gained a deeper understanding and comprehension of the Crushing Sword Force.

Just now, his sword had struck a single point on the Primordial Spirit Array. The support provided by the heroic smoke had begun to wane, and the pillar of light had started to shrink and thin. Yet, An Le had used the Qingshan sword to hold that single point, breaking the entirety through a single focus, ultimately shattering the array that was capable of suppressing the Ninth Realm.

In a daze, An Le felt as if his use and control of the sword had undergone a sublimation and transformation in his understanding.

Simple, direct, and pure. That is the sword. It is the sword realized when wielding power far beyond one's own.

Creating a legend amidst the impossible!

Inside and outside the Tianxuan Palace, everyone was stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief. From the youth's sudden eruption that severed the Emperor's "sure-hit" palm, to the soaring heroism that allowed him to slay five powerhouses and break the array with a single punch and sword—every act had transcended the understanding and imagination of the world.

How could a Fourth Realm youth explode with such power? How could he possibly sway the grand strategy meticulously laid out by the Zhao Emperor?

Sounds of coughing blood echoed one after another around the white jade plaza. Those strong practitioners who had released their spirits to set up the array were all severely wounded the moment it broke. They collapsed, faces sallow and bloodless, their eyes filled with bewilderment.

The array they had set up was a secret technique of spirit refinement inherited by the Zhao royal family, serving not just as a defense, but as a seal. It was capable of sealing a peak practitioner of the Ninth Realm; using it to suppress Hua Jiebing was supposed to be a foolproof plan. Yet, they never imagined that such an array would be abruptly shattered by an unremarkable youth, as if a god had descended in wrath!

It was simply a fairy tale. But the reality was before their eyes; their spirits were backlashed by the shattered array, meaning everything was real.

On the white jade plaza, those who had been influenced by the Heart Sword also regained their senses.

The fire-red spear at the center of Ye Wenxi’s brow let out a violent hum. This elegant young woman, looking up with her long hair and dress fluttering in the wind, watched the youth who had risen from her side to sever hands, kill, and break arrays, feeling only shock and disbelief.

Geniuses from the Lesser Saint Ranking, such as Sima Pudu, Zhong Taohua, and Qin Hua'an, felt as though they had been plunged into an icy lake and pulled back out. Every inch of chill was eroding their minds and bodies. A sense of despair and the illusion of being completely outmatched permeated their hearts. Especially for Qin Hua'an—how could they possibly defeat an An Le like this?

This was an existence even more legendary than the legendary top scholar, Li You'an!

When the fragments of consciousness glittered beautifully in the sunlight and the Primordial Spirit Array lay in ruins, it meant that this youth had officially created a legend. Even though he had not yet earned the right to converse with the Saint Master, the legend he had created at this moment already surpassed that of Li You'an!

Inside the Tianxuan Palace, the breath in the Zhao Emperor’s chest suddenly escaped him. He retreated a step and sat upon the imperial throne, his face devoid of emotion. Only his cold eyes, obscured by the darkness of the palace, projected outward, staring directly at the youth in white, bathed in the white pillar of light from the heavens.

The Zhao Emperor did not know how the youth had unleashed such power. He guessed... it was likely the mystery contained within that bamboo sword, Qingshan. That sword... held a great secret. This sword was meant to be passed down to the Zhao royal descendants, but that stubborn old Imperial Uncle had insisted on gifting it to an obscure youth. And now, that obscure youth, holding the sword, had shattered his long-laid plans, as if slashing a sword through a chessboard he had meticulously arranged, splitting it in two.

The Zhao Emperor knew that obtaining Hua Jiebing’s Heart Sword would be difficult now. The Heart Sword is formless, melting into the heavens and earth. Without the blockade of the Primordial Spirit Array, trying to take the Heart Sword was as difficult as ascending to heaven. After all, Hua Jiebing would not foolishly wait to be stripped of it; resistance was inevitable. Without the array, it was truly too hard to keep Hua Jiebing, who, although only at the limit of the Eighth Realm, could fight against the Ninth.

Moreover, the other backups he had arranged to intercept her would certainly not risk their lives for him. The moment the array broke, it meant the end. Hua Jiebing could not be kept; the Heart Sword could not be obtained. He had intended to obtain the Heart Sword in front of all his civil and military officials to extend his life by five hundred years, but he had never expected his plans to be torn apart and his face thoroughly slapped by a youth.

The Zhao Emperor’s expression was extremely grim. With his own time running out, the life-extension method he had plotted for five hundred years had been ruined by a boy, and the anger in his heart rolled like a giant wave.

But he had to remain calm. Although he had lost the Heart Sword, he still had to show his composure to the officials. He still possessed the Immortal's Blood and still had a chance at five hundred years of life, though without the Heart Sword to suppress the immortal anomaly within the blood, he would have to use other treasures. The effect would be much worse, but at least... there was still a chance.

Furthermore, he suppressed the urge to strike personally. With the array broken, he, the anchor of the array, was no longer bound. He had wanted to stop An Le earlier, but had he moved, the array would have collapsed anyway. Thus, as the only Ninth Realm practitioner capable of stopping him, he could only watch as An Le delivered that blow, shattering the constraints that covered the entire capital.

Now, with the array broken, the Zhao Emperor was unwilling and afraid to strike. He did not know if this mysterious youth still held other trump cards, or if that sword, Qingshan, could still allow him to unleash the spirit of a Ninth Realm practitioner. Holding that sword, the youth made the Emperor deeply wary.

The Zhao Emperor sat on his throne in silence, but his gaze and his majesty caused the ancient bells of the capital to vibrate.

Suddenly, the entire Tianxuan Palace seemed to revive. The clanking of armor resounded, and a massive surge of blood energy and consciousness welled up. Hundreds of guards in silver armor and the Gold-Guarded Imperial Guards rushed in from the sides of the white jade plaza, wielding spears, sabers, and bows. It felt as if thick black clouds were obscuring the sky, bringing the oppressive weight of a great army.

On the white jade plaza, Eunuch Tong, having failed several times to capture Hua Jiebing despite the array, revealed a狰狞 and furious look. Being in the Ninth Realm and yet unable to take down an Eighth Realm practitioner—and even letting a youth disrupt the Emperor’s plans—filled his heart with a surging tide of shame and panic.

"Die!"

Countless black shadows surged from behind him, dense and swarming like beasts, causing the sunlight in the sky to dim. The killing intent arose suddenly, permeating the palace. This time, it was not aimed at Hua Jiebing, but at the youth who stood with the spring breeze filling his sleeves!

As a close confidant of the Zhao Emperor, Eunuch Tong only needed a glance to understand the Emperor's intent. With the array broken, capturing the Heart Sword Jade Guanyin was now a pipe dream. If she insisted on leaving Lin'an, it would be hard for him to stop her, and perhaps unnecessary.

However, the youth who had destroyed the Emperor’s plans must be left behind. If Hua Jiebing insisted on protecting him... perhaps there would be a chance to keep this peerlessly beautiful Jade Guanyin.

...

An Le hovered in the air.

Qingshan, having been unleashed with the Crushing Sword Force, flew back and was caught in his hand. He held it tilted, his white robes rustling in the wind. He looked up, eyes closed, facing the heroic smoke that had broken through the clouds from the high heavens to pour into the mortal world.

The smoke was becoming thinner and thinner—from a great river, to a thick tree, to the width of a woman's arm, and finally... it remained only as a thin, white strand like a wisp of incense.

The "Heroic Spirit Invocation" would eventually end; it was power borrowed from heaven and earth, not his own. It naturally had to fade.

The thin heroism turned into a silver thread, finally focusing on the center of An Le's brow. Amidst the heavens and earth, it blurred... and vanished completely.

In An Le’s ears, everything seemed to go quiet. The sword furnace at his brow was silent, without a sound. Although he had borrowed the power, manipulating it required immense mental and physical strength. His inner elixir was dim, his blood energy exhausted, his profound intent hidden. The sword furnace was covered in cracks, his consciousness empty, his spirit asleep. His state had fallen to the bottom, the most withered he had ever been since he began his cultivation.

Yet, in An Le’s heart, there was a sense of boundless, roaring triumph—a tiger howling freely, a feeling of utter satisfaction.

Regret? Naturally, there was none.

He had severed the Emperor’s palm, slain five unreachable powerhouses before the Tianxuan Palace, and even broken the Primordial Spirit Array! With such joy, what was there to regret?

Helping Lady Hua in her time of need was enough. Her kindness in giving him the Five Animals, the Sword Waterfall, and lighting the lamp on his cultivation path... a drop of water in kindness deserves a spring in return! Moreover, he could not stand the actions of the Zhao Emperor.

His heroic sword light had pierced the stars; he had sought a path of swift justice!

Refreshing!

He slowly opened his eyes. A faint smile played on the corners of his lips. He had done all he could; now... he could just lie flat.

The Dao Fruit "Heroic Spirit Invocation" was thoroughly drained. Fortunately, it had not been shattered by his reckless grasp; it was slowly gathering the lingering heroic spirit around him, recovering bit by bit. The cooldown time... was a bit excessively long.

Eunuch Tong’s surging killing intent made his hair stand on end, blowing his sleeves. However, Hua Jiebing, at his side, had not left. She could not leave now; with the array broken, the consciousness that had bound her had vanished, and the Heart Sword once again filled the world.

Hua Jiebing floated beside An Le and flicked a finger. Sword qi intertwined, blooming like a flower beneath him to support his frame. She saw his pale, bloodless face and the cracked sword furnace in his brow. Her heart was not filled with the joy of escaping bondage.

BOOM!!!

Hua Jiebing pointed, sword qi erupted, and a massive Guanyin image crashed down, colliding with the countless black shadows of Eunuch Tong. The massive fluctuations of energy rolled outward. This was a clash of top-tier powerhouses; sounds of clashing metal exploded endlessly, and black shadows fought incessantly with the sword qi.

In just an instant, it felt as though a long time had passed. Eunuch Tong was pressed back onto the white jade plaza by the Guanyin. The force of the impact pushed geniuses like Ye Wenxi and Sima Pudu to the edges of the plaza. No one spoke; these geniuses of the Lesser Saint Ranking stared intently at the battle.

Hua Jiebing’s luxurious gown fluttered in the hurricane, outlining her graceful figure. Her long hair flew wild, and her beautiful face tilted slightly, looking toward the youth seated on the sword-qi lotus.

"An Le, thank you." Hua Jiebing’s gaze was complex, but she spoke with sincerity.

On the lotus, An Le’s handsome, almost demonic face was pale as paper, but his back was straight, showing no sign of defeat. He grinned, revealing a bright, sunny smile. The spring breeze filled his sleeves, causing his white robes to flutter.

"My Lady, I once said, a drop of water in kindness deserves a spring in return... the grace of protecting my path is etched in my heart. However, I have done all I could. Next, please let me watch a..."

"Gods fighting."

An Le smiled brilliantly, then added solemnly: "My Lady, don't forget to take me out of the city."

Hua Jiebing smiled, as if ice and snow were melting. "Don't worry, leave the rest to me."

As she spoke, she flicked her finger again, tracing a line in front of her. Countless sword lights floated, and sword qi condensed into a halo behind the Guanyin, pressing Eunuch Tong down once more.

Hua Jiebing knew that the Zhao Emperor’s plan to take her Heart Sword had failed. That meant the momentum had shifted. She could already feel a massive Sword Bodhisattva smiling outside Lin'an; her master had arrived.

Inside the Tianxuan Palace, the atmosphere was stagnant. Qin Lishi and many civil officials were interweaving their consciousness, trying to suppress Li You'an. Li You'an, having recovered from the shock on the plaza, his scholar's robes fluttering, had a smile on his lips, but his eyes were filled with deep disappointment and a trace of anger.

He glanced at the Zhao Emperor, who sat expressionless on the throne.

At the center of his brow, terrifying sword qi suddenly descended!

The sword qi was named "Present," and with one burst of anger, it suppressed the imperial court!

Qin Lishi’s expression changed in horror. He felt an unstoppable sword qi strike his spirit. He wanted to dodge, but there was nowhere to go; it seemed to fill the entire mortal world. Not just him, but all the officials who had used their consciousness to suppress Li You'an were wounded in that moment. Some had their spirits nearly extinguished, hovering on the verge of death. They all coughed blood, their fingers trembling as they pointed at Li You'an.

How could Li You'an be so ruthless?

The consciousness interweaving in the palace dissipated. Li You'an, his body radiating starlight, walked out of the palace with his hands behind his back, without a single backward glance.

Reaching the gate, he looked back at the Zhao Emperor on the throne. The Zhao Emperor also looked at Li You'an. He found that this familiar legendary scholar, who had been devoted to the Zhao dynasty, seemed... changed. He had become a stranger, even a bit cold.

With a light tap, Li You'an transformed into a streak of sword light and appeared above the white jade plaza, beside An Le. His scholar's robes fluttered, his sleeves full of sword qi. He looked at An Le, the youth who had broken the game, and felt a newfound respect. Although the boy had used external force, he could already be called extraordinary and legendary.

A warmth blossomed deep in Li You'an's eyes. He seemed to see a spark of fire in the youth.

Below, on the white jade plaza, the momentum released by hundreds of guards pressed toward the sky. Li You'an glanced at them but did not scold them. After all, in this vast Lin'an, everyone had their own status and duties. The duty of these guards was to serve the Zhao royal family and protect the imperial city.

The military momentum was like an abyss or a sea! Under the command of the two supreme generals of the Gold-Guarded Imperial Guards, who had not acted before but were now blocking the path, this pressure made all the sword qi in mid-air feel as if it had fallen into a quagmire.

Facing this pressure, An Le, seated on the sword-qi lotus, also wore a solemn and awestruck expression. He had once watched the battle of the Great Zhao's southward migration in the flow of golden time. In that vision, he had seen the mighty army sweeping across, their momentum so strong it seemed to change the very heavens. It was the gathering of consciousness from thousands of military practitioners; anyone with a weak spirit would be crushed under that momentum.

Li You'an was quite calm, and Hua Jiebing, holding sword qi at his side, also appeared natural. They did not need to fight this army head-on; they could go or fight as they pleased. Bringing An Le along would not be a burden.

Li You'an’s body radiated starlight, and the sword "Qianbai Du" hovered before him. He tapped a finger. The terrifying sword qi from his brow coiled around the sword like a thin snake, and he swung it downward.

Instantly, the abyss-like military momentum was cut open like a waterfall that refused to heal. The sky seemed to turn black instantly. Starlight poured down, condensing into a gigantic phantom of a sword. This massive phantom supported An Le, Hua Jiebing, and Li You'an. The three stood upon it, looking down at the white jade plaza as if observing a grand ceremony of thousands of troops.

The sword moved, breaking through the abyss-like military momentum, and slowly flew out of the city, as if patrolling the entire Lin'an.

The Zhao Emperor sat on his throne, still silent, his eyes becoming increasingly indifferent. He watched the sword flying out of the vast imperial city beneath the Phoenix Mountains. Just as Hua Jiebing and the youth who had slapped his face were about to leave Lin'an unscathed, the Zhao Emperor slammed his palm onto the armrest.

Instantly, the gate towers on all four sides of Lin'an closed, and magical lights shot into the sky, forming an airtight city-defense array, sealing the inside from the outside. People inside could not get out, and those outside could not get in. This was the most massive defense array of Lin'an, only activated when the safety of the city was in danger.

At this moment, the Zhao Emperor had invoked it. Though he said not a word, his attitude was a firm statement that he intended to keep them.

Eunuch Tong’s eyes were dark. He stepped into the air, merging with the momentum of the guards rushing from the plaza, his spirit becoming even more majestic.

However, the defense array that had just risen around the towers of Lin'an was blocked by a pair of hands that suddenly intervened. And bit by bit, they were pried open, revealing a huge gap.

Outside the gap, an old man in plain clothes, with white hair, stood proudly, his body burning with flames that distorted the void, his spine straight.

Zhao Huangting!

Many powerhouses in Lin'an changed color in this moment, looking in disbelief at the heroic old man who had blocked the defense array with his bare hands.

The youth’s heroic spirit had dissipated. But from this old man, a heroism and grandeur even more surging than the youth's burst forth!

Inside the Tianxuan Palace, the Zhao Emperor stood up abruptly, looking at the old man who was stopping the array single-handedly. A ball of fire seemed to be burning on the old man—it was the "Nirvana Fire" of his approaching end! The burning of the Nirvana Fire meant that the hourglass of his life had begun to slip through his fingers; time was entering the final countdown!

Watching this old man, who would rather burn his Nirvana Fire than let the defense array stand, the Zhao Emperor finally spoke, his voice hoarse from the shock of the turn of events, full of unwillingness and resentment!

"Old Imperial Uncle!"

"You are the Old Imperial Uncle of the Great Zhao dynasty!"

"Why help an outsider so?!"

The root of his failure to obtain the Heart Sword this time was entirely due to the Qingshan sword in the youth's hand. And Qingshan should have belonged to the Zhao royal family!

Zhao Huangting’s plain clothes fluttered, his white hair flew, and his waist was as straight as green bamboo. He seemed to hear the Zhao Emperor’s unwilling roar. He glanced at the person on the throne and sneered.

"Disgraceful thing."

"The Nirvana Fire is already burning; do not try to bind me with ties of blood. At the end of my days..."

"I seek only joy and a clear conscience!"

As he spoke, the old man floated in the air and lifted his foot toward Lin'an. The three thousand guards commanded by Eunuch Tong and the generals stopped instantly, as if a terrifying spirit like a mountain stood before them, preventing them from taking another step.

He took a heavy step down. The sound of footsteps seemed to echo between heaven and earth!

The leading Eunuch Tong and the generals groaned, retreating in the void, blood spilling from their lips. The three thousand silver-armored guards and gold-armored imperial guards stumbled back three steps in unison, their gathered momentum shattered instantly, flowing away like water.

The old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple had broken three thousand armors with a single step!

An Le, seated upon the starlit sword, shone brightly, unable to help but clap his tongue in wonder.

That was damn refreshing!