nashuaworldcup Chapter 53: Victory! The most outrageous battle in history!
Chapter 53: Victory! The most outrageous battle in history!
The thrust was slow and light, like a beginner practicing basic swordsmanship.
But this gentle stab seemed to pierce through time and space.
The air rippled slightly where the sword tip passed.
The ripples spread and collided with the ten-zhang-tall blood-red phantom.
There was no earth-shattering roar, no violent shockwave.
Only... silence.
A deathly silence.
The blood-red phantom vanished silently, like a burst bubble.
With a "crack," the Blood Drinking Sword in Li Wuhen's hand broke into two pieces.
The crimson runes on the sword instantly dimmed, as if they had lost all their vitality.
Li Wuhen stared blankly at the broken sword in his hand, then looked at his chest.
There, the tip of the steel sword stopped three inches in front of his heart.
Just a little further and it would pierce his heart.
But he knew that the other party had held back.
It's not that I can't kill him, but... I disdain killing him.
"puff--"
Li Wuhen coughed up a mouthful of blood, fell backward, and fainted.
The entire venue was deathly silent.
Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped, unable to believe what they were seeing.
A second-rank martial artist defeated a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert in one move?
And it's using the most basic straight thrust?
How...how is this possible?
Even the three supreme elders were dumbfounded and couldn't recover for a long time.
For a long, long time.
The presiding deacon, his voice trembling, stammered as he announced:
"The competition is over... Hurry, hurry up... Win!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in uproar!
"You won? You really won?"
"A second-rank cultivator defeating a celestial being? Am I dreaming?"
"What kind of sword technique was that just now?"
"That's terrifying! That's terrifying!"
"This is absolutely the most outrageous battle in history!"
The discussions surged like a tidal wave, almost engulfing the training ground.
Kuai Lai stood there blankly, staring at the steel sword in his hand, then at Li Wuhen lying unconscious on the ground, looking completely bewildered.
Won?
I won?
I defeated the Third Elder?
What... what exactly is going on?
He turned his head sharply and looked at the high platform.
Qin Mu was leaning back in his chair, one hand supporting his chin, a faint smile on his lips, as if everything was going according to plan.
A sudden shock ran through my heart.
It's Your Majesty!
It's His Majesty who's helping me!
Although we don't know what methods His Majesty used, that sword strike just now was definitely not his own strength!
No, it should be said that it was never his own strength from beginning to end!
Come stand on the stage, my mind is a mess.
Everything that just happened felt like a bizarre dream.
His body was out of his control, yet his swordplay was effortless and exquisite, as if the soul of another peerless swordsman was using his body to wield the sword.
But... why would His Majesty help him?
Or will it be done in this absurd way?
On the arena, the unconscious Li Wuhen was quickly carried off by several Sword Sect deacons with panicked expressions.
The broken fragments of the Blood Drinker Sword lay scattered on the bluestone slab, the dark red light of which had completely faded, just like the defeated spirit of its master.
Thousands of eyes in the audience remained fixed on Kuai Lai.
Shock, doubt, horror, and curiosity intertwined to form an invisible net that enveloped him.
He felt as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into the freezing cold, with nowhere to hide.
Just then, the trembling voice of the deacon presiding over the ceremony rang out again, filled with disbelief, as he laboriously announced:
"The competition is over... Inner disciples, come quickly... You've won! According to sect rules, the one who wins two consecutive matches and is unchallenged will become... will become a candidate for the new sect leader!"
New candidate for sect leader!
These seven words exploded like thunder in Kuai Lai's ears and in everyone's heart.
The murmurs were like boiling water, almost lifting the summit of Tianjian Peak.
Many people looked at Qin Mu on the high platform with extremely complex expressions.
Everyone is not blind. That battle just now was extremely bizarre. Who would believe that His Majesty the Emperor wasn't involved behind the scenes?
The question is, how did he do it?
He could remotely control a second-rank martial artist as easily as using his own arm, and even unleash sword techniques that crushed those of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm...
This is completely beyond their comprehension!
Could it be... the legendary methods of a terrestrial immortal?
This thought sent a chill down many people's spines.
Come and stand at the center of the storm of discussion, your ears ringing.
Sect Leader candidate... new sect leader... Your Majesty helped me win... Could it be... Could it be that Your Majesty intends to...
A bold idea, so audacious that it made him tremble, sprouted wildly like weeds.
Yes!
His Majesty's presence at Qinglan Mountain to witness the ceremony was not merely for entertainment. His Majesty intends to take control of the Qinglan Sword Sect!
And I am the key, the pawn, chosen by His Majesty!
Although it is unclear why His Majesty chose such an unknown inner disciple, the facts are undeniable.
His Majesty went to such lengths to help him reach the top! What does this mean?
This means that from now on, his fate will be completely tied to His Majesty, the Qinglan Sword Sect, and even the entire Qin Dynasty!
Fear? A little.
But more than anything, it was an uncontrollable, volcanic eruption of ecstasy!
He came from an ordinary farming family and joined the Qinglan Sword Sect by chance. He had mediocre talent and it took him nearly ten years to reach the second rank. He was one of the most inconspicuous members of the inner sect.
His biggest dream was simply to become an outer sect steward in the future, to bring glory to his family, and to let his parents live a good life.
The position of sect leader, the pinnacle of swordsmanship—those were things he wouldn't even dare to dream of!
But now, that unattainable peak, that position that countless heroes of the martial world would look up to, is actually... within his reach!
As long as he follows the path laid out by His Majesty!
The immense impact made all the blood rush to his head, his cheeks burn, and his fingers trembled slightly uncontrollably.
But he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay calm.
An opportunity! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rise to the top!
We must seize this opportunity! We must!
Take a deep breath, calm your turbulent emotions, turn around abruptly, face the high platform to the north, and with a "thump," kneel heavily on the hard bluestone ground.
His knees ached from the impact, but he paid no heed. With perfect form, his forehead touched the ground, his voice trembling, yet it rang out as clearly and loudly as possible:
"Your disciple has come quickly! I have not failed in my mission! I kowtow to thank Your Majesty for your divine grace!"
The noisy hall fell silent.
All eyes darted back and forth between Qin Mu and Kuai Lai.
As expected! It really is His Majesty!
Although there had been suspicions, seeing this "chess piece" so decisively and readily accept its master still sent shockwaves through many people's hearts.
His Majesty's desire to control the Qinglan Sword Sect is no longer concealed!
On the high platform, Qin Mu looked at the people bowing down below, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
This child is not stupid; he reacts quickly and is humble enough.
What he needed was a key that was obedient and easy to control.
He slowly stood up.
His dark dragon-patterned robe cascaded down like mercury with his movements, flowing with a restrained yet noble dark gold hue in the morning light.
He did not immediately tell them to get up, but instead walked to the edge of the platform with his hands behind his back.
His gaze, like a calm, deep lake, slowly swept over the dark mass of people below, over the Sword Sect elders on the high platform with their varied expressions, and over the three silent Supreme Elders.
Finally, almost imperceptibly, the gaze lingered for a moment on Xu Longxiang's ashen face.
Xu Longxiang was gripping the armrest of the chair tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
It felt as if magma was churning inside his chest, burning him so badly that his internal organs ached.
He meticulously planned and schemed, winning over Li Wuhen and expending countless efforts and resources. Just when he was about to bring the Qinglan Sword Sect under his control, Qin Mu took it away so easily in such a toy-like way!
What's even more hateful is that Qin Mu used such an insignificant ant!
This is not only a power grab, but also the ultimate humiliation for Xu Longxiang, the Northern Border, and all his ambitions!
Qin Mu seemed oblivious to Xu Longxiang's fiery gaze; a faint smile played on his lips.
"It seems that the position of sect leader of the Qinglan Sword Sect has undergone a new change today."
He paused, then turned his gaze to the three Supreme Elders.
"Seniors, according to your sect's rules that the winner is respected in martial arts competitions, since this disciple named Kuai Lai has defeated the final defender, Elder Li Wuhen, and no one else dares to challenge him, then... does he already possess the qualifications to inherit the position of sect leader?"
The three elders remained silent.
The eldest elder in the middle had snow-white hair and beard.
He glanced at the still kneeling crowd below the stage, then at Qin Mu on the high platform, whose posture was languid yet imposing. The wrinkles on his aged face seemed to deepen even further.
The Sword Sect's rules are written in black and white and cannot be disputed.
Kuailai did win, but the victory was bizarre. Everyone knew that His Majesty had intervened, but... a win is a win.
With all the heroes of the world watching, is the Qinglan Sword Sect really going to slap itself in the face and overturn the rules it set?
How could a second-rank disciple, someone who is clearly His Majesty's puppet, be allowed to take charge of the Qinglan Sword Sect, which has been established for three hundred years and has a profound foundation?
This is... utterly ridiculous!
The coffin lids of the Sword Sect's ancestors are probably turning in their graves.
Seeing that the three elders remained silent, Qin Mu did not urge them.
The smile on his lips faded slightly, and his eyes gradually turned cold, like a frozen lake in winter, filled with chill.
Just then, a voice suppressing anger rang out from the Northern faction below the stage:
"His Majesty!"
Xu Longxiang suddenly stood up.