As the words fell, before Ye Xianyu could even unsheathe her sword, dark clouds manifested out of nowhere in the northern sky, layering thick in an instant.
The bright day suddenly dimmed.
The overcast sky carried a heavy oppression, as if someone had spilled a bottle of ink across the heavens.
Thunder rolled, and blood-red lightning surged occasionally, echoing through the mortal realm like the low growl of a deity.
This sudden change overpowered the world-spanning golden light.
The three saintly shadows stiffened, and alarm bells rang in their minds.
Looking closely, one could actually see fear in the eyes of their dharma bodies.
Could the saints of the Three Sects actually feel fear?
The corners of Ye Xianyu’s mouth curled upward, her eyes filled with triumph.
The people of the world looked up and saw another dharma body manifesting before them.
He was born beneath the black clouds.
He bathed in the lightning.
He stood at the pinnacle of the firmament.
Blood-red thunder and the mists of nirvana churned around his body, making his appearance indistinct amidst the hazy vastness.
He held a sword.
A blood-red sword.
Thus, he must be a sword immortal.
As the sword immortal drew his blade, the roar of thunder pierced the heavens.
As the sword immortal opened his eyes, a sharp purple light flashed.
The sword was drawn only half an inch before it stopped, yet its sword intent soared to the sky.
"Startling... Thunder!"
The sword intent roared. Countless bolts of lightning erupted from that half-inch of steel like a volcano, racing toward the front, back, left, right, and every cardinal direction.
Millions of lightning bolts, like a world-ending curtain of rain, dyed the entire world blood-red.
Looking up at the firmament, it seemed as if the sky itself had shattered.
The divine might of the Three Sects' saints was crushed upon contact, crumbling inch by inch.
The sword intent did not stop, surging toward the three of them.
The golden light protecting them was ruthlessly torn apart by the lightning, and their faces contorted in pain.
Their dharma bodies grew dim and teetered on the verge of collapse.
Whether it was the scholar, the monk, or the old Daoist, their eyes were now filled only with apprehension.
"What overbearing sword qi!"
"A mere half-inch of his sword broke our divine might."
"He has grown stronger again."
Bathed in the lightning, the sword immortal’s gaze fixed on them from across the void as he spoke unhurriedly.
"Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism... do you wish to start a war with my Wendao Sword Sect?"
His voice wasn't loud, and no joy or anger could be heard in it, yet it rang out like a great bell. As it drifted into the distance, it drowned out the thunder filling the sky.
The sound was deafening, leaving the ears buzzing and the mind in a state of chaotic fear.
The scholar gritted his teeth and said, "Lei Yunche, is your Wendao Sword Sect truly going to become more and more unreasonable?"
"My sword is the reason. If you do not wish for war, then begone."
His voice rose like rolling thunder.
Lei Yunche.
True to his name, his temperament was as explosive as thunder; he possessed a single lightning spirit root.
He was ranked seventh under the Sword Ancestor.
Years ago, he had charged into the Demon Abyss alone with his sword; not a single member of the demon race could stop him.
Since he had appeared in the world, no one had ever survived more than three strikes from his blade.
The three of them clenched their fists secretly and exchanged looks, forced into a helpless compromise.
Just half a blade had already made their dharma bodies unstable. If that sword were fully unsheathed, their three dharma bodies would likely be reduced to ash in an instant.
If Lei Yunche alone was already this powerful, what of the two ranked above him?
Ultimately, the Wendao Sword Sect had been keeping a low profile in recent years, leading them to underestimate the other party's strength.
Tearing off all pretense with the Wendao Sword Sect just for the sake of the Cangwu Empire was simply not worth it.
It was merely an emperor.
Whoever sat in that chair would be the king.
Naturally, they didn't care about the person; they only cared about the reputation of the Three Sects.
But if their actions led to a full-scale war between the Three Sects and the Wendao Sword Sect, they didn't have the courage to take that responsibility.
The three retreated.
They vanished without a trace.
The half-inch of the sword returned to its scabbard.
The lightning filling the sky dissipated into the world.
Lei Yunche looked across the void at Ye Xianyu. The latter looked back like a little fangirl, her eyes full of admiration.
The sword immortal gave a slight nod.
He came without a shadow and left without a trace.
The lightning departed first, followed by the rolling black clouds. Sunlight fell, and the dark sky cleared, but the black clouds hanging over the Cangwu imperial family did not dissipate.
Instead, they grew even darker, until not a single spark of life could be seen.
They knew very well.
Cangwu was finished.
Completely finished.
The Emperor of Cangwu was driven mad by grief, babbling incoherently and laughing wildly.
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!!"
"Hahaha!!!"
"The Three Sects failed me! The Three Sects failed me! Hahaha!!"
"Liars! They’re all liars! All of them!!!"
Ye Xianyu descended into the capital.
The members of the imperial family prostrated themselves on the ground.
She did not stay her hand; her sword claimed the Emperor's head and then the Crown Prince's.
Her cold gaze swept across the surroundings, staring at each person individually. She said, "The Emperor has been executed. This matter is settled. From now on, look out for yourselves."
With that, her sword returned to its scabbard, and she led her group away.
The imperial family of the city bowed their heads to see them off.
They watched the sword-clouds drift away until they disappeared over the horizon, yet they dared not raise their heads. No one stepped forward to collect the Emperor's body.
For the Li clan of Cangwu, from this day forward, they would likely live under the shadow of the Wendao Sword Sect.
For the entire Central Province Continent, from this day forward, everyone would avoid their sharp edge.
The Wendao Sword Sect was still there, still the same sect that had swept across the eight directions, cleared the six harmonies, and expelled the alien races.
Even though the Sword Ancestor had been gone for ten thousand years, the swords of the Wendao Sword Sect remained unrivaled.
A Wendao Sword Sect that had grown through slaughter was not to be provoked!
The Three Sects' attempt to stop the conflict had failed.
They had lost all face.
Powerful figures could be heard sighing, while others shouted in anger.
Toward the Wendao Sword Sect, they felt a mix of love, hate, and fear.
A thorn in their side, a needle in their flesh.
The Northern Borders certainly needed the Wendao Sword Sect to guard them, but the world only wanted a half-dead Wendao Sword Sect, not one that was growing stronger by the day.
Such was the way of nations, and such was the way of the world.
On the way back, the sword cultivators of the Sword Suppression Hall were high-spirited. It wasn't just because they were returning in triumph, but because they had finally vented the resentment that had been building up for centuries.
That one inch of Startling Thunder from their ancestor hadn't just rebuffed the saints of the Three Sects; it had also cut away the frustration and bitterness in their hearts.
They were the ones guarding the gates of the human race, carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, yet these people were always plotting against and marginalizing the Wendao Sword Sect in the shadows.
They had wanted to do this for a long time, and it was long overdue.
On the journey back, Li Qingshan asked Ye Xianyu why she hadn't wiped out the Li imperial family of Cangwu entirely.
Ye Xianyu told him meaningfully that if Cangwu had no master, it would fall into great chaos.
If they killed every member of the Li clan, the clans and powerful families beneath them would step forward to fight for power. In the end, it would lead to a fractured land of warlords competing for the capital, and it would be the common people who suffered.
By leaving the Li clan, the Three Sects—having failed to protect Li Guan—would surely feel guilty and provide secret support. Thus, the world would not fall into chaos.
She also said that regardless of the circumstances, once war broke out, it was the common people who suffered.
She added that this was why, despite knowing the Three Sects were plotting in the shadows and that Cangwu was constantly testing them, the Wendao Sword Sect had always chosen to endure.
It wasn't that they couldn't win. They simply didn't want to ignite the fires of war and bring disaster to the people.
Just like this battle—they had won, but many innocent people had still died.
Li Qingshan fell silent after hearing this.
The Wendao Sword Sect was built on kindness, yet they were also burdened by it.
They always took too much into consideration, worrying for the world and grieving for all living things.
This was also the main reason why the Wendao Sword Sect could only dominate one region but could not rule the entire world.
Because they cared about too many things, and they had even more concerns.
Conviction can be a good thing, but sometimes, it can be a bad thing.
Suddenly, Wen Qingxue arrived on her sword, speaking urgently: "Sect Master, there is news of the Little Grand-Uncle."
The two of them snapped out of their thoughts and asked quickly, "Where is he?"
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