A thin trail of blood slid down. The tip of Yuanhong, gripped in Gai Nie's hand, had already pierced Wei Zhuang's shoulder.
"Everyone knows Yuanhong ranks third among the world's divine swords," Wei Zhuang said coldly, his voice edged with fury. "And that my Shark-Tooth is called a demonic blade. Fools! The lot of them. Blinded by gossip, parroting what others say. Tell me, Gai Nie—are you one of them? Will you rise above the herd or fall with it? Is this dream of yours worth all you've cast away?"
"My dream," Gai Nie said quietly, "is not the same as yours."
Wei Zhuang's eyes burned. "How pitiful. You've forgotten the first lesson of Ghost Valley. You're just like them—ignorant, self-righteous trash!"
As he spoke, his aura surged, power skyrocketing to a terrifying level. The very air rippled around him. With a sharp clang, Shark-Tooth twisted in his grasp—
and to everyone's shock, Yuanhong snapped clean in two.
"No!" Tianming's cry tore across the hall, disbelief etched on his face.
"Impossible!" Xiao Gao exclaimed, stunned.
"Oh?" Chi Lian's crimson lips curved in a teasing smile. "It seems Shark-Tooth truly outmatches Yuanhong after all."
"What terrifying power…" murmured Baifeng from a distant corridor, his sharp eyes fixed on the duel below.
Mo Ya crossed his arms, calm and detached. "He has skill, I'll grant that. No wonder he dares to dream of challenging Lord Goku one day."
"Still," Baifeng replied coolly, "he's far from ready."
"Yuanhong breaks again…" Goku's tone was almost amused. "Some things change, and some will never change."
But before anyone could speak further, three dark figures flickered—Zhengang, Duanshui, and Wangliang, the remaining Sword Slaves, burst from the shadows like predators, fanning out to strike at Gai Nie's back and flanks in a triple-pronged kill.
Zheng—!
Half of Yuanhong clattered to the ground, ringing faintly as droplets of blood fell beside it.
And yet—its remaining half was already pressed to Wei Zhuang's throat.
Blood ran down Gai Nie's wrist, tracing the fractured edge of the blade.
The hall fell silent.
It looked as though victory had been decided.
"W-wow…" Tianming whispered, awestruck.
"He subdued Wei Zhuang with a broken sword…" Xiao Gao's voice was hushed with disbelief and admiration. "His mastery of the sword—beyond words."
Gai Nie's expression was calm but cold. "You've grown stronger, Xiao Zhuang. But as a swordsman, you still care too much about the weapon itself. That's your flaw. You've lost."
"Ha! You did it, Uncle!" Tianming cheered aloud.
"As expected of the greatest swordsman under Qin," Da Tiechui muttered, eyes wide. "Truly incredible!"
Wei Zhuang's lips twisted into a dark smile. "Very good, Senior Brother. You've proven you're not a useless relic after all. But… you're still the same fool you've always been."
"Now!"
The three Sword Slaves struck—killing intent surged like an icy tide, their blades flashing as they lunged at Gai Nie's exposed sides and back.
"Watch out!" Da Tiechui and the others shouted.
"Uncle!" Tianming cried.
Pchi!
Zheng!
Blood splattered. The broken blade spun through the air, falling in slow motion, the faint ringing echoing like a funeral bell.
Crimson flowed freely down Gai Nie's arm, where a long gash bled through his sleeve. His abdomen was soaked red—he'd been badly wounded.
"I thought this duel was between you and me alone," Gai Nie said coldly, eyes locked on Wei Zhuang.
"That's your mistake, Senior Brother," Wei Zhuang sneered. "You're still as naïve as ever."
"Oh?" Goku's faint smile returned as he watched. "To evade the vital points and counter even three assassins at once… impressive."
"But he's badly injured now," Nongyu murmured. "He can't fight much longer."
"I'll blow those villains away!" Yue'er huffed angrily, fists clenched.
Goku reached out, pinching her cheek lightly. "Stay put, little one. This isn't your fight."
Yue'er puffed out her lips but obeyed, standing quietly at his side.
"Don't worry," Goku said, eyes glinting faintly. "Gai Nie isn't done yet."
With a casual motion, he drew the Demon Sword from his waist and flicked it forward. It spun once, shimmering, and struck the ground in front of Gai Nie with a ringing clang.
"What's this?" Gai Nie asked, surprised, turning toward him.
"I'm allowing you to use it—just once," Goku replied with a faint smile. "Show them the new sword technique you've mastered."
"The new technique?" Xiao Gao echoed, eyes full of curiosity.
Gai Nie stared at the blade. "As expected… nothing escapes sir Goku's eyes."
He drew a deep breath, closing his fingers around the sword's hilt.
At once, the air shifted.
The wind howled. Clouds rolled. Gai Nie's robe snapped like a banner in a storm. The calm swordsman transformed—his aura sharper, heavier—like a king among blades.
He traced the air lightly with his weapon. The world itself seemed to hum. Every sword, dagger, and spear nearby began to tremble in unison, singing back to the master of their kind.
"This… this resonance!" Xiao Gao gritted his teeth, gripping his own sword as it shook violently in his hand. "He's making every weapon in the room respond!"
Wei Zhuang's face tightened. "When did he… learn something this powerful?"
Even the three Sword Slaves felt the killing pressure coiling around them. Just feeling that presence, they knew—the sword about to strike was beyond anything human.
But the one most shaken was Gai Nie himself.
'So this is the legendary sword ranked number one in the world… The Demon Sword. The aura is… overwhelming. Even my wounds are healing—the power surging through me is astonishing! Such contained demonic force… and yet perfectly suppressed. To wield this blade, how powerful must sir Goku truly be…?'
Though his thoughts raced, his hands were steady. Slowly, he raised the sword.
The power climbed higher and higher—his killing intent rippled through the Sky. The sheer pressure made every hair stand on end. The sword had not yet fallen, and already it felt like the sky itself would split apart.
"We're locked on!" one of the Sword Slaves shouted in panic. "Fall back—now!"
"Can you escape?" Gai Nie's voice was calm, emotionless.
He swung.
The world went silent.
For one endless instant, there was nothing—only that sword.
It became a blazing rainbow that split the Sky, its arc spreading waves through the void, light and sound shattering as it passed.
Shu-shu-shu—!
Swordlight flashed three times through the air, vanishing behind the assassins.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
All three Sword Slaves coughed blood simultaneously, their bodies torn open as they plummeted from the sky.
Then the sword flared again.
Crash—!
With a shattering crack, Shark-Tooth split cleanly in two. The blood-red glow around it vanished. The sword's edge carved across Wei Zhuang's chest, spraying crimson as he was hurled backward with a muffled grunt, crashing into the floor.
The hall went utterly silent.
Everyone—Wei Zhuang's men, the Mohists, even the air itself—froze in stunned awe at the impossible might of that single swing.
Gai Nie, the Sword Saint, had unleashed a blade that made the void tremble.
___
🎉 Shoutout to Matt and Willie Epps! 🎉
A huge thank you to Matt and Willie Epps for joining my Patreon and supporting the journey! Your support means a lot and helps keep the chapters coming faster. Welcome to the VIP club! 🙌✨