The world was just beginning to lighten, yet the atmosphere within the Guiyuan Sect was thick with the scent of an impending storm. Many carried the grim resolve of facing certain death, but the sect’s highest echelon felt differently.

“Hah! Salvation is here, salvation is here!”

Among Zhuge Yuanhong, Elder Yan, and Elder Ni, who were hurrying toward the ramparts, Elder Yan burst forth with joy. “I never imagined that at this moment, Senior Jing Yi would be within our Guiyuan Sect! With Senior Jing Yi present, our Guiyuan Sect is saved! Hahahaha…”

“I didn’t expect it to be Senior Jing Yi.” Elder Ni, his face stern, turned to look at Zhuge Yuanhong, undisguised excitement gleaming in his eyes. “Sect Master, where did you find Senior Jing Yi? Is he heading to Wu’an Commandery? Why would Senior Jing Yi agree to help our Guiyuan Sect? Truly, truly… Sect Master, by bringing Senior Jing Yi here, you have saved our Guiyuan Sect!”

The name of Jing Yi had long since spread across the world.

Both Elder Ni and Elder Yan had been nurtured by the Guiyuan Sect since childhood; they regarded the sect as their very home.

Before this, having known about Elder Wu’s death, they had been deeply pessimistic, each prepared to perish alongside the Guiyuan Sect. But now, discovering the presence of a Void Realm master within their ranks, their agitation and lapse in composure were entirely understandable.

“Look at the two of you; do you still look like Enforcement Elders?” Zhuge Yuanhong chuckled, though a twinge of bitterness touched his heart. He continued outwardly, “Senior Jing Yi and our Guiyuan Sect share an old connection. Upon learning of our sect’s impending calamity, he came immediately, without a second word.”

“Indeed, one only truly sees a person in times of crisis,” Elder Yan’s eyes were slightly reddened. “Our Guiyuan Sect must never forget the immense favor Senior Jing Yi has shown us.”

“A great favor, one we cannot forget,” Elder Yan nodded in agreement.

By this point, Zhuge Yuanhong and the other two had reached the city wall and ceased discussing Jing Yi. The battlements of the inner city were lined with numerous soldiers.

“Sect Master.”

“Elders.”

The sect’s elders, protectors, and other figures bowed in greeting.

“Master.” A voice rang out. A tall, stern-faced young man with a distinctive V-shaped mustache looked towards Zhuge Yuanhong. This was Zang Feng, currently the third Enforcement Elder of the Guiyuan Sect! Zang Feng had only recently broken through to the Innate Realm.

He had been assigned by Zhuge Yuanhong to command the Guiyuan Sect’s most mysterious contingent: the Longgang Guard.

“A’Feng,” Zhuge Yuanhong said quietly, “Are they ready?”

“Yes, the six thousand brothers of the Longgang Guard are fully prepared,” Zang Feng nodded gravely.

“Good. When the critical moment arrives, everything will depend on them,” Zhuge Yuanhong nodded slightly. In his heart, however, Zhuge Yuanhong harbored a secret hope: “If only that blind Sword Saint would retreat because of Ah Shan’s appearance, that would be perfect.”

...

Within Elder Wu’s residence, Teng Qingshan, who had just comprehended the ‘Way of Earth,’ opened the wooden box he always carried on his back and retrieved his personal weapon—the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe!

Jing Yi’s identity was embodied in Teng Qingshan’s use of the ‘Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe.’

Whoosh Whoosh

A fierce gale howled as Teng Qingshan gripped the axe, which faintly shimmered with purple light. He was continuously executing the thirty-six forms of the Mountain-Splitting Axe Technique. Although he refrained from using the power of Heaven and Earth or his internal Gang Qi, the surrounding space twisted violently in response.

At times, it seemed as if the technique sought to cleave the heavens apart.

At other times, it resembled the sun, potent enough to incinerate the earth.

And then again, it manifested as an infinitely vast, dense grinding millstone, akin to the immensity of the earth itself...

A flurry of axe shadows rushed out, like clattering scales of armor, enveloping Teng Qingshan’s form. This execution of the axe technique felt more exhilarating than ever before for Teng Qingshan… The technique grew faster and faster, eventually dissolving into a mesmerizing stream of light, constantly shifting and moving across the surrounding terrain.

The Six-Legged Saber-Chir, whose head had just emerged from the earth to watch Teng Qingshan practice, stared with wide, bulging eyes.

Swish.

Teng Qingshan stopped.

“Hahahaha! This mastery of the Way of Earth is truly extraordinary,” Teng Qingshan exclaimed with delight. “Emperor Yu is Emperor Yu, indeed worthy of being the strongest supreme being in history. He even created two supreme secret codices—the Nine Tripod Celestial Scripture and the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms. This axe technique is truly powerful, so powerful!”

Teng Qingshan was beside himself with excitement.

“Compared to Emperor Yu, the Five Elements Spear Technique I created is still quite immature,” Teng Qingshan had to admit this fact.

Previously, Teng Qingshan had only comprehended the ‘Way of Metal’ and the ‘Way of Fire,’ meaning he hadn’t truly unleashed the full potential of the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms. Why? Because the entry point to the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms was the Way of Earth. Without mastering the Way of Earth, how could one deploy the axe technique’s power?

The Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms began with the Way of Earth as its foundation, gradually deepening its mastery by integrating the Way of Metal, and then further integrating the Way of Fire.

It could be said: With the comprehension of the ‘Way of Earth,’ ‘Way of Metal,’ and ‘Way of Fire,’ Teng Qingshan could, at minimum, fully exhibit the power of the first eighteen forms of the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms! This was because the first six forms described the Way of Earth, the seventh through the twelfth gradually incorporated the Way of Metal, and the thirteenth through the eighteenth integrated the Way of Fire. From the nineteenth form onward... came the other two elements of the Five Elements Way.

Only when all Five Elements Ways were fully mastered could one unleash the complete repertoire of attack forms within the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms.

However—

Teng Qingshan could now unleash one hundred percent of the power of the first eighteen forms!

“Emperor Yu is Emperor Yu,” Teng Qingshan was thrilled. “My spear move, the ‘Crimson Gold Tiger Cannon,’ relies purely on clever trickery. But Emperor Yu’s first eighteen forms of the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms are the true pinnacle moves. Their power is immense.”

For an average Void Realm expert:

Suppose they comprehended three Ways, three types of Heaven and Earth energy. Once channeled into a single move, the different energies would clash. If they possessed sixty percent of Heaven and Earth energy, the mutual repulsion might consume ten percent, leaving only fifty percent effective power.

For a slightly more skilled Void Realm expert, they could achieve ‘no internal dissipation.’ Sixty percent energy would manifest as sixty percent power!

And for a powerful Void Realm expert, not only would there be no dissipation, but there would also be a synergistic amplification effect! Sixty percent energy could yield sixty-five or even seventy percent power!

The more types of Heaven and Earth energy, the harder it was to prevent internal dissipation!

Suppose—

A Void Realm expert could barely manage three types of energy without internal conflict. But upon comprehending all the energies, reaching Void Realm Consummation, preventing ten percent of the energy from dissipating was extremely difficult, let alone perfectly combining that ten percent to achieve maximum effect!

This was why the divine codices left by the Supreme Beings were so crucial. Their techniques were almost the ultimate realization of power! That is why the ‘Emperor Yu Gate,’ the ‘Ying Family,’ and the ‘Mani Temple’ in the Nine Provinces guarded their respective divine codices as supreme treasures, never allowing them to be shared.

“I can currently control sixty percent Heaven and Earth energy! Combined with my physical strength, which equates to ten percent Heaven and Earth energy. That makes seventy percent!”

“Seventy percent Heaven and Earth energy, perfectly executed through the first eighteen forms of the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms, what would the resulting power be?” Teng Qingshan was overwhelmingly excited. He had witnessed projections of Emperor Yu executing and deconstructing the axe technique through the ‘Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe’ combined with the stone carvings, and after several years of contemplation, his breakthrough was sudden and clear.

“This Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms is not just an axe technique; it also contains an extremely potent movement method!”

While executing the axe forms, the body must naturally move continuously. Teng Qingshan had previously created the Earth Movement Technique by combining the movement style of the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms with the Sky’s End Travel.

Now—

Having comprehended the Way of Earth, Teng Qingshan instantly grasped much more of this accompanying movement style.

“Hmm, while the blind Sword Saint has not yet arrived, I must study this closely and master this close-quarters combat movement technique,” Teng Qingshan dared not waste time. “Seventy percent Heaven and Earth energy, plus this movement technique belonging to Emperor Yu, combined with the first eighteen forms of the Mountain-Splitting Thirty-Six Forms, and—Emperor Yu’s ultimate weapon, the ‘Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe’…”

Teng Qingshan felt almost one hundred percent certain he could defeat a Void Realm expert who controlled eighty percent Heaven and Earth energy.

As for comparing himself to the blind Sword Saint at Void Realm Consummation…

“I need to grasp more of the movement technique,” Teng Qingshan began practicing the axe forms once more.

...

Teng Qingshan was currently within the Guiyuan Sect grounds; the thirty-four-li radius was effectively his domain, allowing him to detect the blind Sword Saint’s arrival early.

The early summer morning was still cool, yet the walls of Jiangning Commandery City were thronged with soldiers, numerous disciples of the Guiyuan Sect, and the soldiers of the Black Armored Army.

“Rumble~~”

Beneath the eastern city wall, the grand army of Qinghu Island advanced slowly, resembling a dark, surging tide rolling forward. Thousands of Guiyuan Sect soldiers on the wall held their breath. Some newly initiated disciples, having never experienced true bloodshed, felt their palms sweat and legs weaken, despite their willingness to fight to the death. After all, the approaching force was the army of Qinghu Island!

...

“Boom!”

The advancing army beneath the eastern wall halted abruptly.

Within the Qinghu Island formation, three men clad in dark red battle armor stood respectfully before Gu Yong, dressed in coarse linen, and the blind Sword Saint, clad in black.

“Grand Master,” Gu Yong looked at the blind Sword Saint, a hint of confusion in his eyes. It was time for battle.

“Hmm?”

The blind Sword Saint, however, was gazing at the walls of Jiangning Commandery City. He clearly sensed a powerful aura emanating from within the city. “This aura… it should be Jing Yi’s. However, this aura seems to have changed slightly. Has this Jing Yi broken through again? Why is he appearing in Jiangning Commandery City now?”

The blind Sword Saint, who had expected this campaign to be swift and result in the immediate annihilation of the Guiyuan Sect, was becoming annoyed.

“It’s not certain. Perhaps Jing Yi is just here to watch the show.”

“He has no sect or school; why would he meddle in the Guiyuan Sect’s affairs?” The blind Sword Saint could only hope inwardly. As long as Jing Yi did not intervene, destroying the Guiyuan Sect would be a simple task.

But suddenly—

Within his sensory domain, the terrifying aura representing Jing Yi rushed toward the city wall at an astonishing speed. In the space of a single breath, the aura was already atop the ramparts.

On the city wall, Teng Qingshan appeared beside Zhuge Yuanhong.

“Hmph, he still showed up,” the blind Sword Saint’s face darkened.

Now, destroying the Guiyuan Sect was going to be troublesome!