"Master, why have we come here in the middle of the night?" On the high platform of Yan Gui Terrace in Heaven Revelation City, a young man in a robe adorned with flying cloud patterns yawned and sat down, his legs dangling lazily over the edge.
"Chuhe, you're too lazy. You'd rather sit than stand, lie down than sit. Can't you learn from your imperial uncle? He stands tall and straight, a model of royal dignity wherever he goes," the white-haired, masked man said helplessly.
This master-disciple pair was none other than Ji Ruofeng, the leader of the Hall of Know-All and the White Tiger Envoy of the Four Guardians of Heavenly Revelation, and the sixth prince, Xiao Chuhe. On this seemingly calm yet turbulent night, while others were embroiled in battle, they stood here, overlooking the city.
"Imperial uncle's way is too exhausting," Xiao Chuhe replied with a smile. "I want to live freely. Master, take me to see the world sometime."
"See the world? Tonight, right here, we're looking at it," Ji Ruofeng said, lowering his gaze toward a mansion in the southwest. "The world isn't just rivers and lakes—it's where people are. And there's no place more worldly than Heaven Revelation City."
"Master, I don’t have clairvoyance. What am I supposed to see?" Xiao Chuhe scratched his head.
"Neither do I. I'm waiting for a fire," Ji Ruofeng said, pointing in that direction.
Xiao Chuhe frowned slightly. "A fire."
Elsewhere in Heaven Revelation City, a grand and opulent estate.
A lavishly decorated carriage slowly approached the estate's gate.
A black-clad warrior stood waiting and hurriedly bowed upon seeing the carriage.
"Tell your master the time has come," the person inside the carriage said solemnly.
"As you command," the warrior replied before turning to enter the estate.
At Fengxiao Temple.
The ground was littered with broken blades.
Master Wangyou, drenched in sweat, sat cross-legged to meditate and rest. "This old monk is exhausted. Not even blocking Teacher Li back in the day was this tiring."
"Are we stronger than Teacher Li now?" Su Zhe stood beside Wangyou, leisurely taking a puff from his pipe.
"Of course not. Teacher Li was just better at considering the elderly," Wangyou mused. "Wait, no—he was older than anyone else..."
"Hahaha." Su Zhe glanced around. "The Shadow Sect members have all retreated. They must have received word from Heaven Revelation City. Our act here is done."
"Thank you, Mr. Su Zhe. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a fight this much," Xiao Ruofeng said as he approached Su Zhe. Though his face was bruised, he wore a rare smile.
"Our performance here is over, but the final outcome of this struggle still depends on those two brothers in Heaven Revelation City," Su Zhe said, offering his pipe to Xiao Ruofeng. "Care for a puff?"
Xiao Ruofeng waved his hand. "No, thank you."
"How about some betel nut?" Su Zhe rummaged through his robes but only pulled out crushed fragments, which he tossed aside. "Gone. Your sword strike shattered them earlier."
"You're an interesting man," Xiao Ruofeng chuckled.
Wangyou softly chanted a Buddhist phrase. "Betel nut and smoke—four legs to the sky."
"Nonsense, Master. It's boundless power," Su Zhe laughed.
Outside the Shadow Sect's gates.
Bai Hehuai grew restless. "Why hasn't there been any movement for so long? Should we go in too?"Mu Yumo shook her head. "Let's wait for Chang He's signal. He said he'd only order us to enter as a last resort."
"Ah, their methods are so clumsy. Why must they always resort to bloodshed? With your Thousand Spider Array and the rare poison I developed, dealing with the Shadow Sect would be effortless," Bai Hehuai said angrily.
"The Miracle Healer is impatient," Mu Yumo chuckled softly.
Bai Hehuai sighed helplessly. "Aren't you worried too?"
"Don't worry," Mu Yumo patted Bai Hehuai's shoulder. "As long as those two brothers fight together, they've never lost."
Inside the Shadow Sect, the final battle that would truly decide the night's outcome was still raging.
Su Muyu simultaneously controlled seventeen sharp blades, pushing the sword array's intricacies to their limits. Despite Xie Pi You and Su Ziyan attacking with sword and saber in perfect coordination, they couldn't breach the array's defenses.
Xie Zaiye watched from the side, a chill running down his spine. "If he'd used this sword array technique earlier, I'd probably be dead already."
"To possess such swordsmanship at such a young age is truly astonishing," Su Ziyan remarked as he deflected a blade. "Pity you're one of the Nameless Ones, otherwise I'd be compelled to praise the innate swordsmanship talent of our Su Family."
"Mu Fusheng, after watching for so long, what do you think? How does it compare to the Eighteen Sword Formation you witnessed years ago?" Xie Pi You asked.
Mu Fusheng had been observing intently, his eyes growing brighter and his expression increasingly excited. "Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!"
"What's so marvelous about it?" Su Ziyan frowned.
Mu Fusheng's hands trembled slightly, as if he couldn't resist joining the fight. "It's like witnessing that scene from decades ago all over again. What a shame I was just a child back then, unable to participate. And now in my twilight years, seeing this peerless swordsmanship again, all I can do is marvel."
"Enough talk. Who's stronger?" Su Ziyan pressed.
Mu Fusheng scoffed dismissively. "The Way of the Sword transcends mere strength."
Though Su Muyu appeared to have the upper hand, his unease grew with each passing moment. His opponents chatted casually mid-battle, praising his swordsmanship without a trace of panic—as if his greater skill only delighted them more.
"Su Muyu, they're not truly fighting you," Su Changhe warned gravely.
Su Muyu nodded. "I know. They're guiding me, coaxing me to reveal the complete Eighteen Sword Formation bit by bit. What seems like my advantage is merely me as their puppet, displaying swordplay under their direction."
"The young man is clever," Su Ziyan smiled faintly. "Have you shown us the full Eighteen Sword Formation yet?"
Su Muyu twirled his slender sword lightly. "This formation has eighteen swords, yet you've only seen seventeen. How can you claim to have witnessed its entirety without the eighteenth?"
"Well reasoned. Then show us your eighteenth sword," Su Ziyan replied.
"The eighteenth sword... concerns only life and death," Su Muyu said solemnly."Then let's debate life and death," Su Ziyan's sword stance suddenly shifted, a gust of wind whipping up along his blade. Meanwhile, Xie Pi You surged forward with even greater momentum, swinging his broadsword and cutting through three sharp blades in one breath. With just a few leaps, he had already charged before Su Muyu: "If we're discussing life and death, let me go first!"
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