World's No. 1 Swordsman

Chapter 807: Dramatic Entrance

Shi Qianzhang muttered under his breath, "Buddhist Master, did you hear a strange voice just now?"Liu Yunzhi kicked him squarely on his side. "What do you mean, 'strange voice'? That was Empress Houtu speaking to all living beings!"

Shi Qianzhang instantly flew into a rage. He turned around and glared fiercely at Liu Yunzhi. However, though he had a vicious expression, his courage clearly failed to keep up.

"I mean... I've never experienced anything like this before, alright?!"

Several Daoist elders from Earth immediately burst into amused laughter inside the cavern.

Huai Jing, who sat near the cave entrance, also chuckled softly. He then sank into thought.

By sheer accident, they had infiltrated the enemy camp. The real question now was what use they could still be.

"Amitabha... why does it feel like we've become a ragtag mob?" Huai Jing muttered to himself.

The cultivators from Earth who had rushed over to support the Nether Realm felt the same way after somehow ending up in the enemy faction instead.

A few were about to complain further when one of the old Daoist elders raised a hand for silence. A strand of voice transmission reached the ears of everyone in the canyon.

"All divisions, move out and assume battle formations!"

At that moment, a map appeared in Huai Jing's mind. The marked location showed where their group was supposed to head next.

Huai Jing lowered his voice. "Do not get separated. Adapt according to the situation."

Everyone nodded one after another.

They sounded perfectly normal on the surface. The reason Huai Jing dared to say them openly was because he had already judged the current situation for himself.

People flew out from every corner of the rift valley in groups and charged into the low skies of the Nether Realm.

They looked like stars forming layers upon layers of encirclements around Fengdu City. It was impossible to tell how many there were, but they heavily outnumbered the cultivators within the city itself.

Earth's cultivators looked into the distance. An unknown number of cultivators were soaring into the sky, clearly divided into three different levels.

Roughly forty percent were true elite forces. They occupied the central positions, with experts mixed among them. These cultivators came from various factions of the Immortal Saint Realm and represented the hidden foundations that those powers had painstakingly nurtured.

They were the true protagonists of today's great battle.

Another forty percent consisted of a far more disorderly group of cultivators. Most were just temporary recruits or had joined their respective factions only recently, just like the group from Earth. They were stationed closer to Fengdu City, forming the inner layer of the encirclement. Once battle erupted, they would be the first to face the enemy head-on.

Simply put, they were cannon fodder.

The remaining twenty percent consisted of the Nether Realm's local specialists, ghost cultivators, and yin cultivators.

Their situation was even worse. They had been stationed right at the obvious gaps intentionally left within the encirclement. Once the battle began, those positions would undoubtedly suffer the fiercest attacks.

Commanding a battle formation of this scale was no easy feat.

Right now, every cultivator present could hear the continuous, faintly seductive voice transmissions echoing through the battlefield. They were repeatedly told to stand on the side of justice and promised a bright future ahead.

Earth's cultivators were rendered speechless.

Talking big and painting pretty dreams... For some reason, the major powers of the endless space and the Immortal Saint Realm seemed far less convincing than the merchants back in their homeland.

"What do we do now?"

Huai Jing, Shi Qianzhang, Liu Yunzhi, several instructors from Earth, and a few senior elders huddled up. They raised an immortal power barrier around themselves and discussed their next move while concealed among the other cultivators from Earth.

In a battle of this scale, what could their tiny group possibly accomplish?

Lead a sudden revolt? If they managed to survive five seconds, they could already call themselves true heroes.

Huai Jing telepathically asked, "Did the message reach Xiaomiao?"

"It definitely did,"Shi Qianzhang replied with certainty."But even if we move our entire foundation over here, we still wouldn't be strong enough to change even a small part of the battlefield."

One of the Daoist elders sighed."We're only here for the sake of participation at this point. We are too weak to help much."

Huai Jing smiled."Not necessarily. Let's observe for now."

Violent fluctuations from a battle then erupted in the direction of Fengdu City. However, the disturbance lasted only briefly before it was forcibly suppressed.

Liu Yunzhi raised his head and looked into the distance. "It's starting."

His immortal perception swept toward the massive city as sharp light flickered continuously within his eyes.

They were no longer who they used to be, yet in the end... they still lacked the power to change anything.

Faced with such a scene and this overwhelming situation, the cultivators from Earth suddenly thought of the same four-word codename—a title.

Sword Cultivator Fei Yu.

***

A short while earlier, beside the frozen Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation.

The experts who had gathered in Fengdu City flooded in from every direction and surrounded the Nether Realm's underworld faction and the rebelling Ghost Emperors.

Originally, the two sides would have continued their standoff for some time. After all, every cultivator present had their own hidden schemes.

Cultivators were selfish by nature. Although many among them still possessed chivalry and compassion, one undeniable truth remained: in the endless space, those who survived long enough to become powerful experts and were drawn here by the King of Hell selection were, for the most part, far from righteous heroes.

It wasn't realistic to expect them to charge fearlessly into battle for others. If there were benefits to claim after victory, however, they would certainly be among the first to step forward.

When every heart had different intentions, how could they ever truly unite?

Wang Sheng, Houtu, and everyone else understood that.

Fortunately, it was now Wang Sheng's moment to "perform."

During the confrontation between both sides, he found the right opportunity to break open a section of the ice. He deliberately made himself appear weak and exhausted, even leaving half of himself trapped among the chunks of ice outside the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation.

The Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation was enormous. Because every cultivator present had their nerves stretched taut, though, countless immortal perceptions immediately captured the scene.

Wang Sheng coughed several times before shouting weakly, "Your Imperial Majesties, hurry and end the rebellion! Feng Jiu's elites are about to arrive!"

He also revealed traces of his Dao Rhythm at exactly the right moment. The Great Dao of Slaughter he radiated was powerful, while the Great Dao of Reincarnation's aura remained comparatively weaker.

Several Kings of Hell immediately unleashed streams of light toward the rebel faction, which became the spark that ignited everything. The countless experts around them attacked simultaneously, while the rebelling Ghost Emperors and many Asura experts desperately attempted to flee.

Because the surrounding cultivators did not resist too fiercely, two actually managed to escape alive.

The irony of it all was almost laughable.

Wang Sheng sighed inwardly and continued the act.

Qin Guang and several other experts rushed forward, pulled Wang Sheng out of the ice, and immediately asked about Houtu's condition.

Wang Sheng used the explanation he had prepared beforehand. He claimed that after entering the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation, he found Houtu already on the verge of collapse, so he had hurriedly used his immortal power to stabilize the seal.

Unfortunately, he was too weak. His immortal power was quickly exhausted.

Before sealing herself within the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation, Houtu had entrusted him with the Great Dao of Reincarnation's seed and pushed him out of the wheel, leaving behind a warning for all living beings.

Wang Sheng sighed deeply as he gazed toward the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation in the massive frozen mountain. "Her Majesty... truly gave everything she had for the sake of all living beings."

Many of the surrounding cultivators quieted down.

"Xu Xian, focus on recovering first," Qin Guang said as he handed over two alchemical pills.

Wang Sheng appeared to swallow them, but he secretly wrapped them with immortal power instead of allowing their medicinal effects to spread through him.

There was no helping it. At a time like this, he could not trust anyone completely. He had to remain cautious.

Countless cultivators had already formed a three-layer encirclement around the city. From the skies above to the ground below, the area had become a solid wall of bodies.

Following the Kings of Hell's proposal, the cultivators gathered at the eastern side of the city. They prepared to launch a massive attack that would smash through the enemy formation.

The atmosphere on both sides gradually grew tense. Still, the tension did not come from true hostility.

No one wanted to become a sacrificial pawn in a clash between major factions. Even with Xu Zhongliang and Chun Yangzi secretly coordinating forces behind the scenes, organizing a large-scale eruption of conflict remained difficult.

At a moment like this, leaders became especially important.

The first to be pushed to the front was Wang Sheng, the Wandering Slaughterer.

He was the only person who had entered the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation, emerged safely, and received a Great Dao seed from Houtu herself.

Taking advantage of the situation, he stepped forward with sword in hand. The immortal power he had "barely recovered halfway" surged outward as a cold and frenzied killing intent swept across all directions.

At that moment, clouds as black as ink gathered in the eastern skies beyond Fengdu City. The clouds drifted over from afar before collapsing inward, condensing into a towering figure.

The Black Emperor, the most recognized traitor in the Three Realms, had appeared once more.

"Xu Xian, it seems a battle between us cannot be avoided after all."

Behind the Black Emperor, dozens of great divine-ability experts silently emerged one after another. Overwhelming pressure shot into the sky.

Behind Wang Sheng, several Kings of Hell stepped forward as well. Dozens of old monks, old Daoists, and elderly women advanced beside them to confront the opposing side.

Soon after, powerful auras also emerged from other directions outside Fengdu City.

In response, the great divine-ability experts within the city released their own overwhelming pressure, forcibly pushing back the enemy auras for one simple reason: only by making the enemy wary could they prevent the battle from truly erupting.

Nevertheless, Feng Jiu's faction seemed fully determined to devour the massive gathering of experts in the city today.

Gongs and drums echoed from the distant horizon. The Black Emperor turned his head for a glance, smirked slightly, then stepped aside with his hands behind his back, yielding the central position. Black clouds surged around him as he vanished into the darkness.

A simple litter[1] slowly approached in the air. Though it appeared unhurried, it was astonishingly fast. It soon stopped before the Black Emperor, and a woman stepped out of it.

That's... Wang Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Wasn't she the same subordinate who had accompanied Feng Jiu the last time she came looking for me to deliver that self-important speech?

The woman's phoenix eyes swept across Fengdu City with cold disdain and a faint sneer.

"It seems none of you wish to die here today. I came only to offer you a choice. Join us, or perish where you stand."

Dozens of terrifying Dao Rhythm pressures erupted around Fengdu City from every direction. Each aura was nearly equal to the Black Emperor himself as they descended upon the city like crushing mountains.

The expressions of the cultivators within Fengdu City darkened drastically.

As though coming from an enormous drum, a heartbeat thundered within the hearts of all living beings.

Boom!

Several soft chuckles echoed from inside Fengdu City. Space twisted rapidly, and a wooden coffin eerily appeared above the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation at the very center of the city.

A pale man in a blue-green robe drifted out from above the coffin. He seemed frail at first glance, as though a strong wind could topple him. Yet the icy Dao Rhythm he radiated filled everyone with fear.

"Emperor Qinghua!"

Several people appeared beside him, too.

Wang Shan, Wu Tianshou, Xu Zhongliang... More than ten experts at the level of the Heavenly Court's Star Deities gathered around Qinghua.

Chun Yangzi, dressed in white, wrapped an arm around Zhi Bing's slender waist. Evidently, he had traded a hundred years of foot massages for this outrageously flashy entrance.

Xu Zhongliang calmly remarked, "The old forces of the Heavenly Court have come today to meet our former emperor. Why not show yourself, Feng Jiu? You owe us an explanation for what happened in the past."

The woman replied coldly, "Just you lot?"

Several glowing rings appeared behind her, and multiple figures flew out from within. Each one took the form of a woman and radiated astonishing aura fluctuations.

They were all subordinates of Feng Jiu.

A female, spear-wielding general clad in armor laughed faintly. "You are still unworthy of making our master appear."

"Is that so?"

A cold and detached male voice exploded beside the ears of every living being. A streak of sword radiance abruptly tore across the skies above Fengdu City, as though someone had casually sliced open a painted canvas with a knife.

Space trembled like torn fabric, and more than ten streams of starlight descended from within the rift. The person leading them was in silver armor and wielded a three-pronged double-edged spear. Though the vertical divine eye on his forehead remained shut, his sharply carved features made him exude arrogance and icy indifference.

Erlang, the Heavenly Court's God of War, had come!

"Am I qualified enough?"

The armored woman's expression hardened slightly. "Yang Jian[2], are you truly determined to oppose us?! Do you not wish to see peace restored to the Three Realms?"

"What does the peace of the Three Realms have to do with me?"

Erlang lightly shook the three-pronged, double-edged spear in his hand. At that moment, everyone present felt their Dao Heart tighten violently.

"All I want is an explanation."

A soft sigh suddenly echoed between heaven and earth, and the sky behind the Black Emperor instantly turned blood-red. Countless flower petals drifted through the air as a peerlessly beautiful woman appeared in eerie silence.

"If that is the case, then you should understand something: Now that I've shown myself, bloodshed becomes inevitable."

The Queen Mother's face had appeared!

Feng Jiu!

Silence swallowed Fengdu City, both inside and out. Even Qinghua and Erlang, both of whom towered among heaven, frowned deeply at Feng Jiu.

They could not see through her at all.

At that moment, Wang Sheng, who had originally stepped forward first, laughed softly. His laughter gradually grew louder until it echoed across heaven and earth, yet it still had deep helplessness within it.

Countless confused and uncertain gazes gathered upon him as the aura he exuded slowly changed. The Great Dao of Slaughter and the Great Dao of Reincarnation gradually vanished as well. In its place emerged a Dao Rhythm beyond description or understanding.

It was free, unrestrained, and filled with endless possibilities.

Wang Sheng slowly lifted his disguise, returning to his true form.

After enduring countless hardships, the youthful spirit he once possessed had long since faded. The many trials he had experienced made even his former sharpness disappear.

What remained now was calmness, composure, and a confidence that seemed to declare, "As long as I stand here, heaven and earth shall bend to my will."

"I'm afraid... that may not be entirely true. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sword Cultivator Wang Sheng, Empress Nuwa's successor. I have been waiting for you for quite some time now, Immortal Emperor."

Even though he lacked confidence deep down, all he could do right now was keep up the act.

1. A type of wheelless vehicle carried by people on poles. It is usually used to carry royalties. ☜

2. True Lord Erlang's actual name ☜