Bitter Realm: My Feet Step Through the Flames of War

"Who cares? If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Let's go in and look at the sword manual."

Shukuer swallowed the last bite of food: "Uncle Qin, you don't know how to use a knife."

"Do you understand chasing trending news? I have votes, and I can cast them for my friends and family."

Freshly picked peonies were displayed in front of the main hall, their fragrance sweet and their beauty captivating. Each audience member could take one and toss it to their favorite sword manual.

Qin Jiaxian and Shukuer brought the peonies into the hall.

The hall was divided into four sides, with two sword manuals placed in front of each wall. The manuals were already unfolded and copied into neat regular script on clean white bamboo paper.

Some of the sword techniques are also illustrated, making it clear even to ordinary people that they are extraordinary.

"Uncle Qin, aren't you afraid someone will steal your writing skills since you've written it in such detail?"

"That's called the confidence of a master, the spirit of a strongman."

"Then who should we vote for? I know several people who are interested in voting for us."

"You call someone a fan if you know them, but only when someone knows you can you be considered a friend."

Qin Jiaxian read through the books one by one, the first one he saw was Ya Shao's sword manual—

Reflections on the Ming River

[Blade Master]: Heavenly Blade Laughing Sword Blunt

[Sword Intent]: Beyond the clouds, the wind howls and the sword's shadow deepens; the Milky Way fades as the morning star sinks.

【Origin of the Blade】: The blade user guarded the Milky Way prison for countless years, witnessing the movement of the three lights, the rise and fall of celestial stars, and the shadows of all things. Thus, he created the blade technique using the clouds of the six heavens and the shadows within them.

[Weapon]: Heavenly Blade

[Sword Techniques]: Reflection of the Bright River, Flying Steps Across a Thousand Miles, One Blade Sweeping the Mountain, Decisive Decision of the Azure Heaven, Hatred Severing the Ends of the Earth, Clouds Without Direction, Slaying the Wrath of Heaven, Five Absolute Techniques of Heavenly Journey, Illusory Blade Splitting Waves, Journey of the Heavenly Way, Feathers Soaring Across the Ends of Heaven, A Line of Heavenly Splendor.

"Uncle Qin, look how many flowers Young Master Ya has piled up here, more than everyone else."

"Beauty is justice, beauty is strength."

"Is this why you, Uncle Qin, lack a sense of justice?"

Shukuer's words earned him a heavy slap that made him see stars, causing him to crash into Qiluosheng's sword manual.

Flower Tide and Moon Rise

[Swordsman]: Qi Luosheng

[Sword Intent]: On flowery mornings and moonlit nights, I am sleepless with longing, filled with countless thoughts, and speak of such deep affection.

【Dao Yuan】: Possessing innate sword sense, he experienced various hardships in the ups and downs of life, was separated from his friends by life and death, and was reunited in reincarnation. He regained his sword sense and sword heart, and then guarded the Time Tree in Time City, where he comprehended the Flower and Moon Dual Sword Style.

[Weapons]: Jiangshan Yan Dao, Hei Yue Zhi Lei

[Sword Techniques]: Jiangshan Zhuoying·Break, Jiangshan Nizhan·Sever, Daoyin Jiangshan·Sever, Jiangshan Quyingying·Sever, Tianyue Zhan, Wuyue Shuangdao Zhan, Tiangong Shuangdao Ying, Shexin Dao, Daoyi Zhan, Jiutian Yiji·Qianjun Pidi.

Shukuer thought to himself, if good looks equal justice, then Qiluosheng must be the most righteous hero.

At this moment, someone nearby exclaimed, "Using Buddha's bones to make knives, how cruel!"

"Even demons are participating in the competition? What's going on?"

"A demon is not fit to be a knight-errant, and he's so ugly, we refuse to vote for him!"

The indignation of these people attracted Shukuer, who rushed to the wall, where he found the sword manual representing the demon realm.

The Buddha and the Demon Cry

[Swordsman]: Wilderness Forbidden Pardon

[Sword Intent]: Neither demon nor Buddha has been fully realized; I only know to cry out in injustice alone at night.

【Blade Source】: Born a demon, yet possessing a demonic heart capable of destroying its own kind, and wielding the extraordinary ability of pure and holy energy, when the Buddha's bones and demonic energy merge into one body, the blade bears the burden of killing, but also of protection.

[Weapon]: Buddha Bone Weapon

[Sword Techniques]: Primordial Shattering, Evil Slash - Forbidden Flame, Buddha's Weeping Reverse Kill, Heavenly Pardon Change, Myriad Fierce Thousand Cracks, Primordial Forbidden Martial Arts - Emperor Jiang's Beginning.

Qin Jiaxian also saw this and muttered to himself, "The demon realm is sealed, so why was he released?"

"Uncle Qin, is this person considered a Buddha or a demon now?"

"Nonsense, of course it's a demon. You think you can become a Buddha by taking a bone? Then the world would be full of Yi Ye Shus."

"You haven't put your flowers out yet."

"I, Lao Qin, am always cautious. I'll read it all before I vote."

The following sword manual comes from a swordsman from the Western Regions, a figure neither Qin Jiaxian nor Shukuer had ever heard of.

Fleeting Light and Shadow

[Swordsman]: Xiao Liuguang

[Sword Intent]: Life is but a fleeting dream within a dream, worldly affairs are like the wind in the breeze.

【Dao Yuan】: A young swordsman who always fights for justice suddenly gains star power and swordsmanship in a dream, thus awakening his own way of the sword. He walks alongside his sword in the vast yellow sand.

[Sword Techniques]: Dawn Breaks, Fleeting Light and Shadow, Dream of Spring and Autumn, Flying Light Leaves No Trace, Dream Remains, Fleeting Life and Dream Shadows, Light Fades, Time Flows, Fleeting Life Like a Dream, Light Fades, Fleeting Life and Shadows, Brightness Ends, Darkness Begins, A Moment's Turn, Fleeting Life and Scenery, Shadow Follows Form, Past Events, Dream Broken in the Mortal World, Cutting the Ends of the Earth, A Sword Leaves a Dream, Dream Broken at the Ends of the Earth, Light and Shadow in Parallel, Heaven and Earth in One Dream, Peak Shadow Flows with Light, Fleeting Life and Shadows, Dream Splendor Shattered.

[Weapon]: Floating Light and Shadow (divided into "Light Blade" and "Shadow Blade")

Chapter 266 Sword Appraisal Meeting: The Five Realms of Swordsmanship, Precedence Lies in Intent

After reading the first four sword manuals, Qin Jiaxian hadn't even thrown his peony flower yet when he arrived at the fifth sword manual with his trousers tied around his waist.

Six Instant Slashes

[Swordsman]: Yagami

[Sword Intent]: The rise and fall of dynasties are fleeting, leaving only the sword to sink into oblivion.

【The Origin of the Blade】: A ten-year-old prodigy discovers the mystery of life in the Land of the Dead. He commits suicide to save his friend's life and is resurrected by the creator of the Land of the Dead, becoming a killing machine. Finally, one day, the Blade Master awakens. His innate talent is no longer fixated on life and death, but instead reaches the purity and absoluteness of the blade.

[Weapon]: Crescent Moon

[Sword Techniques]: Six Instant Slash, Six Instant Ten Directions Decisive Strike, Six Instant Sun Piercing Divine Strike, Realm Six Instant Slash

[Sword Manual]:

A single slash cuts through the biting north wind, chilling ten thousand peaks.

Spring flowers fade easily, their fragrance like smoke.

Three times the snow-covered window, fireflies flicker, oblivious to the passing years.

Four times the sun and moon have passed like an arrow, yet the person has not returned.

Five cuts through unpredictable and turbulent worldly affairs

Six Slashes of Heaven and Earth: Unmerciful and Cruel

……

"Uncle Qin, this looks ordinary."

"What do you know? Completing six slashes in an instant is practically supersonic."

"If we're talking about speed, then it has to be Old Dog's Time-Based Knife Technique."

"What you said makes sense. Let's go see the Northern Dog."

The sixth sword manual—

The Time-Based Knife Technique

[The Swordsman]: The Most Timeless Era

[Sword Intent]: Time may wear down the sword, but it remains; foam may float on the water, but the path continues.

【The Origin of the Blade】: A young man of light born from time, while traveling the world, encountered a man and a dog. Because the man used a knife, the young man later made a knife from the bones of the old dog that had died.

[Weapon]: Wu Gou Li

[Sword Techniques]: Shadow Strike, Shadow Transformation, Shadow Break, Heavenly Dog Devours the Moon

[Sword Manual]:

The blade flashed swiftly, and all that could be seen were shadows;

The blade has already passed through the shadows; there's no time to look back.

Why use a sword to defeat the enemy? Man and sword are both in disarray.

Once you see the true face, you'll find emptiness within the blade.

……

This time, they finally got to see the contestant who was closest to Shukuer. Before Qin Jiaxian could object, Shukuer threw the peony into the box of the most glorious time.

"Uncle Qin, Brother Gou is approachable and has no airs of a master. He can be considered my friend."

"Fine, fine, you've already cast your ballot, you can't take it back now."

So who are you going to vote for?

"Of course we should vote for the representative of the Central Plains martial arts world. Now that Su Huanzhen is not here and Yi Ye Shu is injured, who will wholeheartedly stand on the side of righteousness?"

Shukuer had to admire Dazai's strategic vision: "Of course, it's Chaotic World Mad Blade."

"It's a pity that Chaotic Blade hasn't appeared for several tiers, and his popularity has plummeted. In addition, his injuries have damaged his skills... Sigh, I wonder if he can defeat these representatives from other realms this time he makes a comeback."

"I think Bei Gou and Qi Luosheng have always been helping the righteous path; they are simply role models for martial arts practitioners."

"But they belong to Time City. They're just making a cameo appearance now. The day the Lord of Time City turns against Su Huanzhen, they'll become our enemies."

"Uncle Qin, you're overthinking it."

Snapped!

The jogger got slapped again.

The two arrived at the sword manual display area of ​​the Chaotic World Mad Blade.

Dragon's Counterattack

[Swordsman]: Chaotic World Mad Blade