SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
At these words, everyone shot to their feet.
He's here!
The legendary young Martial Saint has really come!
Excitement washed over Zhang Yuanzhu's face.
"Where is Wang Wusheng? Quickly, bring him in!"
Unless it was absolutely necessary, he didn't want to sacrifice his men to force a breach of the pass.
After all, without someone to counter Wu Shengtiang, the army would suffer devastating losses.
"Never mind. Lead the way. I'll greet him myself!"
Zhang Yuanzhu swept aside the tent flap and left the command post.
A crowd of generals and military advisors followed close behind.
In this world, perhaps only Wang Xiao was worthy of such a grand reception from these important figures.
「A moment later.」
In a clearing, Zhang Yuanzhu saw Wang Xiao, dressed in a long robe.
"Wang... Wusheng. It's been three years. I trust you've been well," Zhang Yuanzhu said, walking up to greet him.
He looked at Wang Xiao, a flicker of shock in his heart.
In three years, his own Cultivation had already reached the Late Stage of the Innate Realm.
He was just one step away from entering the Grandmaster Realm!
But facing Wang Xiao, he still felt as if he were staring into an abyss, gazing up at a towering mountain.
He knew that in these three years, Wang Xiao's strength must have improved tremendously once again.
Wang Xiao smiled slightly. "I suppose I should call you Marshal Zhang now. And what of Daoist Ming Xu and the proprietress? Are they well?"
Zhang Yuanzhu replied, "My senior sister didn't follow me to the Central Plains. She's still running her Shuangqi Inn in the Border Region. As for Master..."
At this, a touch of sadness clouded his features.
"Two years ago, Master was gravely injured by one of Wu Shengtiang's Grandmasters while saving me."
"Over the past two years, his injuries have only worsened. Now, he's completely bedridden."
Wang Xiao's smile slowly faded.
"Such is life; the world is unpredictable. Since Daoist Ming Xu isn't here, it's all the more reason for you, Marshal Zhang, to fight this final battle well and not fail the trust he placed in you."
Zhang Yuanzhu nodded solemnly.
"Yes. I have made all the preparations. With a single command, the entire army can march out to attack the city and break through the pass!"
He paused, then continued,
"But Wu Shengtiang is currently holding Shanhai Pass and refuses to come out. His Overlord Army is the bravest of the brave. If we try to force our way through, I'm afraid our casualties will be extremely heavy."
Wang Xiao spoke up.
"If you trust me, Marshal Zhang, then leave the matter of breaking the pass to me. How does that sound?"
These were the very words Zhang Yuanzhu had been waiting for.
"Of course! In this world, I fear no one but you, Wang Wusheng, can stand against Wu Shengtiang. From here on, we will be relying entirely on you."
"How many troops do you require, Wang Wusheng? I will prepare them at once."
Wang Xiao shook his head.
"To break the pass, I alone am enough."
A look of shock crossed Zhang Yuanzhu's face.
"Wang Wusheng, there are at least ten Divine Arm Crossbows atop Shanhai Pass. These crossbows can threaten even a Martial Saint. It could be dangerous for you to break the pass alone."
The other military advisors and generals were also stunned by Wang Xiao's words and hurried to persuade him otherwise.
"Wang Wusheng, we all know your strength is extraordinary, but the stakes of this battle are immense. Please act with caution."
"Indeed. It would be best for you to conserve your strength until you face Wu Shengtiang."
"We can send ten thousand men to assault the city first, while you wait for an opportunity from the rear, Wang Wusheng."
Wang Xiao's expression was serene.
"I am not alone. I have this sword at my waist!"
"Marshal Zhang, go and assemble your troops. Once the city gate is broken, you need only follow me through the pass."
Seeing that Wang Xiao wasn't just boasting, Zhang Yuanzhu hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Very well. Since you've said so, Wang Wusheng, we will leave everything in your hands. I'll go muster the troops at once!"
Zhang Yuanzhu was a man of decisive action.
With that, he led the group of advisors and generals to the various encampments to begin pre-battle preparations.
「Two hours later.」
The sky gradually began to dim.
THUD!
Wang Xiao stepped out from the Taiping Army ranks alone and walked toward Shanhai Pass.
Shanhai Pass was known as the "Number One Pass Under Heaven." It stood a thousand feet high, like a colossal dragon coiled upon the earth.
The gate itself was incredibly thick and heavy, requiring the combined strength of a hundred soldiers to open.
Even a Martial Saint could not breach it with ease.
Just as Wang Xiao drew near Shanhai Pass, atop the city walls,
rows of uniquely designed Crossbow Carriages slowly appeared.
Each was armed with Crossbow Arrows several feet long!
THWANG! THWANG! THWANG! THWANG! THWANG!
A sound like cracking thunder suddenly erupted from the Crossbow Carriages.
Instantly, the deafening sound of countless Crossbow Arrows slicing through the air erupted.
Innumerable Crossbow Arrows, like a torrential downpour, shot toward Wang Xiao, saturated with a frenzied killing intent.
Each Crossbow Arrow contained immense power, the tips even creating a white sonic boom as they flew!
Standing a thousand feet behind Wang Xiao, Zhang Yuanzhu and the others paled at the sight.
"So many Divine Arm Crossbows! Even a Martial Saint would be grievously wounded if hit!"
"Indeed. It's a good thing we didn't try to force the pass. Our losses would have been catastrophic."
"But why isn't Wang Wusheng dodging?"
"He can't be planning to face them head-on, can he? That's far too reckless!"
Just as everyone was reeling in shock and disbelief,
a brilliant flash of sword light erupted from within Wang Xiao.
Everyone was blinded by a piercing glare, their eyes aching, unable to look ahead.
「The next moment.」
They heard only a heaven-shaking sword cry ring out.
It was immediately followed by a deafening RUMBLE!
When they came to their senses,
the countless arrows lay shattered to pieces, dozens of feet away from Wang Xiao.
What shocked them even more was that
the mountainously thick gate of Shanhai Pass had been split right open, revealing a massive passage!
"Shan... Shanhai Pass is breached! It's breached!"
Zhang Yuanzhu was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with wild joy.
He hadn't even seen Wang Xiao make a move, yet the gate was already broken!
This was completely beyond his expectations.
At that moment, in his eyes, Wang Xiao was like a god descended to the mortal realm.
"Follow me through the pass."
Wang Xiao's expression was calm.
With his current strength at the Martial God Realm, the Weapons of this world could no longer threaten him at all.
Even though the Divine Arm Crossbow was powerful, its might was, at best, equivalent to a mortar from the Real World.
To block it required nothing more than a single sword strike.
"All troops, hear my command! Enter the pass and destroy the Great Xuan!"
Zhang Yuanzhu drew his long saber and raised his arm with a rallying cry.
In an instant,
the mighty Taiping Army surged forward like an unstoppable tide, following Wang Xiao into Shanhai Pass.
Along the way,
the army met no resistance, their advance as simple as eating a meal or drinking water.
In just a single hour,
the army of several hundred thousand had already arrived before the Forbidden City!
However, the army halted several thousand feet from the Forbidden City.
At this moment, a lone figure stood outside the Forbidden City!
He was a man of imposing stature, clad in a suit of Bright Armor and holding the Overlord Spear.
He stood there, unmoving as a mountain, emanating an aura of invincibility.
It was like the magnificent might of the heavens—one could not look at him directly, nor dare to offend him.
"Wu Shengtiang! It's Wu Shengtiang!"
A stir ran through the army.
They knew that the fall of the Great Xuan was a foregone conclusion, something not even Wu Shengtiang could change.
But, upon truly seeing Wu Shengtiang, everyone still trembled from the depths of their being.
After all,
this man had been invincible for an entire era!
If not for him, the Great Xuan would have collapsed fifty years ago.
Wu Shengtiang gazed at Wang Xiao at the head of the crowd, his voice booming like thunder.
"Young Martial Saint, the three-year pact is fulfilled. Are you ready to defeat me?"
Wang Xiao looked back at Wu Shengtiang, his expression calm as he replied,
"Martial Saint... I am no longer one."
Wu Shengtiang's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Even if you took that step before I did, I have no fear. My will is indomitable! Come! Let me witness the power beyond the realm of a Martial Saint!"
The moment his voice fell,
THUD!
he took a step forward. The Overlord Spear stirred a howling wind, like a mountain collapsing or a tsunami crashing.
The very earth seemed to tremble violently at that moment.
Faintly, the Inner Qi around his body coalesced into the form of a massive spear, hovering between Heaven and Earth!
This was the nascent form of Martial Arts unique to a Martial God.
Unexpectedly, Wu Shengtiang had managed to form one as well.
However, he was still some distance from being able to wield the Power of Heaven and Earth as his own.
"As you wish!"
Wang Xiao drew his sword and slashed out fiercely.
VMMMM!
A dazzling sword light enveloped Heaven and Earth.
A Sword Shadow hundreds of feet long appeared with a deafening roar, radiating an intent that could shatter all things!
It was like a Banished Immortal descending to the mortal world, a divine punishment sent from the heavens!
A sky-shattering bolt of power unfurled, as if the entire world were crashing down upon Wu Shengtiang!
A sword from the west, a Celestial Flying Immortal!
CLANG!
The Sword Shadow and the spear collided with a cataclysmic impact, unleashing a sound that drowned out everything else.
A heaven-shaking shockwave raged outwards.
The ground within a thousand-foot radius rolled like waves of wheat, kicking up an endless cloud of dust!
When the dust settled,
Wang Xiao and Wu Shengtiang were both still standing ramrod straight.
However,
the Overlord Spear in Wu Shengtiang's hands had been snapped in two.
His aura weakened rapidly. He leaned on the Overlord Spear to keep from falling, muttering to himself,
"So, this is the view from above the Martial Saint Realm... Just one step away. I was just one step away..."
But for him, that single step was as wide as a celestial chasm.
He lifted his head to look at the starry sky, as if he had returned to the days when he and the Late Emperor roamed the Jianghu together.
"Shengtiang, what do you want to be in the future?"
"I want to become a Martial Saint! The strongest Martial Saint of all time!"
"Haha, I'm sure you can do it! When I become Emperor, I'll gather all the Martial Arts in the world for you to help you achieve the rank of Martial Saint!"
"Then I will guard the Great Xuan for you for a hundred years! As long as I am here, the Great Xuan will stand!"
Wu Shengtiang began to laugh silently.
'Late Emperor, I've fulfilled my promise to you!'
'A hundred years... is such a long time.'
'Thankfully, it's all over now.'
'To be able to glimpse the world beyond a Martial Saint before my Death... I have no regrets.'
With a smile on his face,
Wu Shengtiang slowly closed his eyes, and his breath ceased.
"He's dead! Wu Shengtiang is dead!"
In an instant,
a tsunami of cheers erupted, rising and falling in waves.
"Rest well."
Wang Xiao looked at the deceased Wu Shengtiang and let out a soft sigh.
Wu Shengtiang's Talent was truly exceptional.
If not for the tempering of these past three years, he feared he would have been no match for him.
He was a worthy and respectable opponent.
After instructing Zhang Yuanzhu to handle Wu Shengtiang's body with care, Wang Xiao followed the army into the city without any further bloodshed.
Knowing the Great Xuan was beyond saving, Wu Shengtiang had already disbanded his Overlord Army and dismissed his generals.
Of course, some generals still committed suicide in their manors after Wu Shengtiang's death.
As for the Xuan Emperor, he hanged himself from a crooked-neck tree in the back garden of the Imperial Palace.
With that, the Great Xuan was officially declared fallen.
Wang Xiao stayed in the Forbidden City for one night before bidding farewell to Zhang Yuanzhu and returning to the Sword Sect.
The Sword Sect had sacrificed a great deal for him over the years; it was time for him to repay them.
For at least the next thirteen years, he would forge the Sword Sect into the number one Sect in the world!
And along the way, he would consolidate his Enlightenment of the Martial God Realm.
After Wu Shengtiang was slain by Wang Xiao's single sword strike,
the dynasty well and truly changed.
In the spring of the 226th year of the Great Xuan calendar,
Zhang Yuanzhu ascended the throne as Emperor and changed the dynasty's name to the Great Ming.
The name was taken from the "Ming" in "Ming Xu."
This was to commemorate the contributions Daoist Ming Xu had made to the new dynasty.
Thus, a world that had been mired in conflict for nearly a hundred years finally began to show signs of recovery.
In the second year of the Hongwu era of the Great Ming,
Sword Sect Leader Mu Qingfeng abdicated his position, and Wang Xiao succeeded him as the new Sect Leader.
With Wang Xiao's reputation as the first Martial God in history,
the number of people coming to the Sword Sect to learn Martial Arts was practically endless.
Coupled with Zhang Yuanzhu's patronage and support, the Sword Sect flourished day by day.
Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.
The Sword Sect had already become a Holy Land in the Jianghu, the number one grand Sect!
However,
Wang Xiao rarely made public appearances anymore.
He spent most of his time in the Sword Tomb, cultivating and seeking Enlightenment.
Of course, in the Jianghu, the legends of Wang Xiao were everlasting.
They were even written into various storybooks and novels.
Wang Xiao came to be known by the people of the Jianghu as the "Myth of the Martial Arts"!
「On this day.」
As Wang Xiao was seeking Enlightenment in the Sword Tomb, he suddenly felt a brilliant light explode in his mind.
An inexplicable pulling force abruptly swept over him.
'Has the time come?'
A glint shone in Wang Xiao's eyes.
He did not resist the pulling force and slowly closed his eyes.
VWOOM!
The Book of Space-Time turned a page.
Wang Xiao's consciousness completely vanished from this world.