Supreme Being: The Sword of True Martial Arts

Ding Changsheng's smile froze on his face, his emerald eyes like two will-o'-the-wisps in the dim light of the luminous pearl. He stepped aside to let the stone door open, making a "please" gesture with his right hand, his movements stiff and mechanical, as if his joints were filled with lead.

"Young friends, please come in."

Lin Yan did not move. He activated his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart at full power, and the sword sense surged into the secret chamber behind the stone door like a tidal wave. The secret chamber was not large, about three zhang square, with a futon in the center and a jade bottle on it. There were no torches on the walls, but in each of the four corners of the secret chamber was a fist-sized fluorite, emitting a faint green light.

The green light was exactly the same color as the blue aura in Ding Changsheng's eyes.

In addition, the walls of the secret chamber were covered with dense patterns. These patterns were not decorations—Lin Yan's Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart clearly perceived that each pattern was a channel of true energy, and all the patterns converged at a node at the top of the secret chamber, where they formed an extremely faint vortex of spiritual energy.

It was an array. And not a lethal array. The direction of the patterns and the way the true energy flowed were very similar to the description of the "Water Mirror Technique" that Lin Yan had seen in the True Martial Sect's Scripture Pavilion—a technique that could remotely transmit images and sounds. In other words, it was a monitoring array. As long as someone entered this secret room, the array would be activated, transmitting everything inside to the person who set it up.

"Miss Qi," Lin Yan lowered his voice, his lips barely moving, "there's an array in the secret chamber that can remotely transmit images and sounds. As soon as we enter, the Lord of the Fortress will be able to see us."

Qi Xia frowned slightly, her right hand tightening its grip on the Water-Splitting Thorn: "Can you go around it?"

Lin Yan sensed the area covered by the array. The array patterns covered the walls and floor of the entire secret chamber, leaving no blind spots. The only blind spot was directly below the spiritual energy vortex at the top of the chamber—but that was precisely where the futon was located.

"There's no way around it," he said. "But the formation has a blind spot, directly beneath the prayer mat. Standing there, the lord can only see the tops of our heads, not our faces or hands."

Qi Xia's eyes narrowed slightly. She understood Lin Yan's meaning—standing in the blind spot, they could communicate using gestures without being detected by the fortress lord.

Ding Changsheng maintained the "please" gesture, his emerald eyes fixed on the two of them. His smile remained unchanged, but Lin Yan noticed that the index finger of his right hand, which was making the gesture, was trembling slightly—a very subtle, uncontrollable tremor, as if two forces were vying for control within his finger.

He still retained some of his senses. Lin Yan made a judgment in his mind.

"Let's go." He winked at Qi Xia and stepped into the secret room first.

The moment Lin Yan's foot touched the floor of the secret chamber, he felt an extremely faint fluctuation of true energy sweep across the array patterns beneath his feet. The fluctuation was so subtle, like ripples on water after a pebble has been thrown in; it would be impossible to detect without fully activating the Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart. The ripples spread from his feet throughout the array patterns of the entire chamber, then converged towards the spiritual energy vortex at the top. The vortex glowed slightly before returning to its original state.

The formation has been activated.

Lin Yan walked calmly to the prayer mat, but instead of sitting down, he stood directly in front of it—in the blind spot of the formation. Qi Xia followed behind him, standing to his side and slightly behind, also within the blind spot.

Ding Changsheng also entered. His steps were stiff, and with each step, his feet turned slightly outward—a sign of uncontrolled joint movement. He walked to the center of the secret room, stood opposite the futon, and stared directly at Lin Yan and Qi Xia with his emerald green eyes.

"My two young friends," his voice was hollow and hoarse, "the Lord of the Fortress has a great gift for you."

Lin Yan raised an eyebrow: "What grand gift?"

Ding Changsheng pointed to the jade bottle on the futon. The jade bottle was entirely bluish-white, with intricate patterns engraved on its surface, and it shimmered with an eerie glow under the green light. A thin layer of wax sealed the mouth of the bottle, and one could vaguely see liquid slowly flowing inside.

"A divinely bestowed elixir." Ding Changsheng's lips curled into an exaggerated smile. "After taking it, one's energy channels will open and meridians will be unblocked, greatly increasing one's power. The Lord of the Fortress said that since the two young friends have come from afar, as the host of this place, he should do his duty as the host. This bottle of elixir is a gift for our meeting."

Lin Yan almost burst out laughing. A divinely bestowed elixir? Isn't this just a Heart-Stealing Pill? Trying to fool people with a fancy name? Does this fortress lord think they're fools?

But he didn't laugh. Because as Ding Changsheng spoke, his left hand was making a small gesture—his index and middle fingers were brought together and gently bent downwards twice. It was a gesture. A gesture that shouldn't belong to someone being controlled.

Lin Yan's Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart captured this movement, and at the same time, it captured another detail: the instant Ding Changsheng made this gesture, the concentration of the blue aura in his eyes lessened slightly. A very subtle change, fleeting, but enough to illustrate the point—Ding Changsheng was using his willpower and the effects of the medicine to fight against something, attempting to convey some kind of message.

"A celestial elixir?" Lin Yan feigned interest, reaching for the jade bottle. "Is the Lord of the Fortress so generous?"

The moment his fingers touched the jade bottle, the Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart sensed the composition of the liquid inside. It wasn't the Heart-Stealing Pill. The Heart-Stealing Pill's effects were violent and corrosive, but the liquid in the jade bottle was gentle, even carrying a faint trace of spiritual energy.

This is a genuine elixir. And it's a high-quality elixir for opening the mind.

Did the lord of the fortress really produce a genuine elixir?

No, that's not right. Lin Yan's Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart continued to penetrate deeper, and under the gentle medicinal power, he "smelled" an extremely subtle, unusual aura. That aura was deeply hidden, like a venomous snake coiled among flowers; if it weren't for the Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart's ability to penetrate appearances and reach the essence, it would be impossible to detect. It was the aura of the Heart-Stealing Pill. Diluted countless times, then sealed within the core of the pill using some method.

This is a slow-release form of a heart-controlling drug. It doesn't take effect immediately after ingestion; the drug's effects are released slowly over the next few hours, gradually controlling the user without their knowledge. By the time they realize it, it's too late.

"Impressive tactics," Lin Yan thought to himself, secretly admiring the master. This fortress lord not only knew how to control people with the Heart-Stealing Pill, but also knew how to encapsulate it within a genuine elixir, creating a slow-release version. Such methods were beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists. Just who exactly was the master of Hidden Emperor Fortress?

He put down the jade bottle and smiled, "We cannot accept such a reward without having done anything in return. We appreciate the Lord's kindness."

Ding Changsheng's smile froze for a moment. A very faint emotional fluctuation flashed in his emerald eyes—not anger, but anxiety.

"My two young friends," his voice grew even hoarser and his speech quickened, "the Lord of the Fortress is being so kind, why refuse? Taking the elixir will greatly increase your power, giving you more means to protect yourself within this Hidden Royal Fortress. Otherwise—"

He slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers forming a claw, and blue energy condensed at his fingertips.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to get out of this secret room."

Threat. But Lin Yan noticed that when Ding Changsheng said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to get out of this secret room," his left hand was making a gesture again—his index finger pointed to the spiritual energy vortex at the top of the secret room, and then his five fingers suddenly spread open, making an "explosion" gesture.

Destroy the formation.

Lin Yan understood. Ding Changsheng was using his last shred of consciousness to tell him—destroy the formation and cut off the fortress lord's vision. Only in this way could he break free from the fortress lord's remote control and truly communicate with the two of them.

But the problem is, if the formation is destroyed, will the fortress lord immediately notice? Will it directly detonate the effects of the Heart-Stealing Pill within Ding Changsheng's body? Will it send over even more controlled puppets?

Lin Yan hesitated for a moment. Then he made a decision.

His right hand silently pressed onto the hilt of his sword, the Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart locking onto the vortex of spiritual energy at the top of the secret chamber. That vortex was the core node of the entire formation, where all the array patterns ultimately converged. If a single sword strike pierced the center of the vortex, the entire formation would collapse. But that strike had to be extremely precise—the center of the vortex was only the size of a pinhead; the slightest deviation would trigger the formation's self-destruct mechanism, blasting the entire secret chamber into ruins.

Qi Xia saw his gesture, her eyes widened slightly, and then she nodded. She didn't know what Lin Yan was going to do, but she knew she needed to cooperate at this time.

Lin Yan took a deep breath.

"Master Ding," he suddenly spoke, his tone as relaxed as if chatting in a teahouse, "you said the Lord of the Fortress has been waiting for us for a long time. I'm curious, where exactly is he waiting for us? In the central hall? Or deeper underground?"

Ding Changsheng's smile froze. A turbulent, bluish light flickered in his emerald eyes, as if he were struggling. His lips moved a few times, uttering a hoarse syllable: "He..."

Just then, Lin Yan made a move.

Before the sound of the iron sword being drawn even reached his ears, its tip had already pierced the center of the spiritual energy vortex at the top of the secret chamber. This strike used a cloud-piercing power—true energy swirled rapidly in his dantian, bursting forth instantly and surging towards the sword tip along the shortest path. The instant the sword tip pierced the center of the vortex, Lin Yan felt a violent backlash of true energy, as if he had struck an impenetrable wall. But his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart had already locked onto the true core of the vortex—that point of convergence of spiritual energy, smaller than a pinhead.

The sword tip deflected slightly. So slightly that it was imperceptible to the naked eye. But it was this slight deflection that allowed the sword tip to pierce precisely into the point of intersection.

"Pop".

A soft popping sound, like a bubble being punctured.

The vortex of spiritual energy at the top of the chamber trembled violently before collapsing. Countless tiny fragments of spiritual energy flew out of the vortex like a burst of fireworks. Simultaneously, the array patterns on the walls dimmed; the dense lines lost their luster and became ordinary engravings. The fluorites in the four corners flickered a few times, their green light dissipating, leaving only ordinary fluorescent glow.

The formation has been broken.

Ding Changsheng's body convulsed violently. He clutched his head with both hands, let out a suppressed growl, and collapsed to his knees. His emerald green eyes flickered wildly, sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy, as if two consciousnesses were vying for control within his brain.

"Hurry...go..." he forced out the two words through gritted teeth, "He...is coming..."

"Who wants to come?" Lin Yan crouched down, staring into Ding Changsheng's eyes. "The Lord of the Fortress?"

Ding Changsheng's pupils contracted sharply. His left hand gripped Lin Yan's sleeve tightly, with astonishing strength, his fingers almost digging into the fabric. "Central Hall... underground... he's... at the altar..." His voice was broken, each word requiring immense effort, "He... isn't... not the Lord of the Fortress... the real Lord of the Fortress... died long ago..."

Lin Yan's heart sank.

The true lord of the fortress is long dead? Then who controls the Hidden Emperor's Fortress now?

"Who is he?" he pressed.

Ding Changsheng's lips trembled violently as he struggled to make a sound. Emerald green energy overflowed from his seven orifices, even more intense than when Cheng Yong died—the fortress lord was remotely activating the medicinal power within him, attempting to kill him before he could speak.

"He...is..." Ding Changsheng's voice grew weaker and weaker, "...Heaven..."

As soon as he uttered the word "sky," his eyes suddenly widened.

A vibrant green aura surged wildly from his eye sockets, dyeing his entire eyes a pure emerald green. His body froze, remaining kneeling, his left hand still clutching Lin Yan's sleeve, but that hand was now devoid of any warmth.

Then, the corners of his mouth began to turn upwards. It wasn't Ding Changsheng's own smile—that bitter smile tinged with relief. Instead, it was a strange, eerie smile that sent chills down one's spine.

"My two young friends," a completely unfamiliar voice rang out from Ding Changsheng. The voice was young, carrying an elegant, composed smile, like a noble young master admiring flowers in a garden, rather than a puppet trapped in an underground chamber. "You are more interesting than I imagined."

Lin Yan's hand was already gripping the sword hilt tightly. Qi Xia also raised his Water-Splitting Thorn, a blue light flowing from its tip.

"Who are you?" Lin Yan asked.

Ding Changsheng—no, the one who controlled Ding Changsheng through the Heart-Stealing Pill—tilted his head, a hint of amusement flashing in his emerald eyes.

"You can call me... Lord of the Fortress." His voice came from Ding Changsheng's throat, carrying an eerie duality, as if two people were speaking simultaneously. "However, since Ding Changsheng has already told you—the real Lord of the Fortress is long dead. Then, you can also call me..."

He paused, then his smile deepened.

"A gift from heaven."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ding Changsheng's body suddenly swelled violently. The muscles under his skin bulged like air, and the blood vessels stood out, taking on an eerie bluish-black color. The bluish energy emanating from his seven orifices grew increasingly dense, gathering into a churning blue cloud above his head.

"He's going to self-destruct!" Qi Xia exclaimed.

Lin Yan didn't hesitate. He grabbed Qi Xia's wrist, and the two of them flew backward simultaneously. The moment their feet left the ground, Ding Changsheng's body exploded.

It wasn't an explosion of flying flesh and blood. Instead, a burst of azure light erupted from his body, completely engulfing him. The azure light spread throughout the entire chamber, shattering the fluorite on the walls and leaving countless cracks in the stone. Then, the azure light dissipated. Ding Changsheng's body had vanished, leaving not even a scrap of clothing behind. Only a pool of dark red blood on the ground proved that someone had once been there.

"Heaven-sent." Lin Yan repeated the name, sheathing his longsword. His expression was not good.

Qi Xia's hands were still trembling slightly, but she quickly steadied herself. "Before he self-destructed, the blue aura in his eyes completely dissipated for a moment. I saw his expression—he was smiling. Not the kind of smile that was controlled, but a genuine smile. Like... a sense of relief."

Lin Yan remained silent. He recalled the last half-spoken sentence from Ding Changsheng—"He...is...Tian..." Tianci. He had never seen this name in the original novel's Hidden Emperor's Castle storyline. Nor was it in the outline. This was a variable.

The power of the Heart-Stealing Pill within Ding Changsheng's body was remotely activated by the Fortress Lord, causing him to self-destruct and die. Before his death, he exchanged his life for two words: Heaven-sent.

This "Heaven-sent One" is the one who now controls the Hidden Emperor's Fortress. He has replaced the true lord of the fortress, used the Heart-Stealing Pill to control the four top experts, and is waiting here for the reincarnators to walk into his trap.

The central hall, the underground altar.

Lin Yan stood up and brushed the dust off his knees. "Let's go."

"Where to?" Qi Xia asked.

"Go find Miss Jiang and the others to meet up." Lin Yan walked out of the secret room without looking back. "Then, go to the central hall. The Lord of the Fortress—no, Tianci—is waiting for us."

He paused, turned around, and glanced at Qi Xia. In the dim light of the luminous pearl, he wore a half-smile, as if he were saying something amusing.

"Miss Qi, do you think it's a bit too childish for someone to name themselves 'Heaven-sent'?"

Qi Xia paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. The laughter echoed in the narrow passageway, easing the oppressive atmosphere considerably.

"Indeed," she said.

The two walked back along the fork in the road. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they heard footsteps ahead—it was Jiang Zhiwei and the others. Jiang Zhiwei walked in front, her left shoulder wrapped in a bandage, her face paler than before, but her steps were still steady. Meng Qi followed behind, his monk's knife stained with blood, and he had several small wounds on his face, but his eyes were bright. Yan Wujiang brought up the rear, his face deathly pale, but at least he was still alive.

"Are you in trouble too?" Lin Yan asked.

Jiang Zhiwei nodded: "The last expert was also controlled. His cultivation was slightly lower than Cheng Yong's, but the drug's effects were very strong, and he started to self-destruct halfway through the fight. I used my sword technique, 'Sword of No Self,' to cut off his right arm and suppress the drug's effects. The little monk suffered a minor injury, but it's nothing serious."

She glanced at the fork in the road behind Lin Yan and Qi Xia: "Where's Ding Changsheng?"

"He self-destructed," Lin Yan said briefly. "The fortress lord remotely activated the medicinal effects, leaving no trace of his body. However, before he died, he revealed the fortress lord's true identity."

All eyes were on Lin Yan.

"The true lord of the fortress is long dead," Lin Yan said. "The one who controls the Hidden Emperor's Fortress now is a man named 'Tianci.' He built an altar under the central hall, and we don't know what he's doing there. But one thing is certain—he's been watching us from the moment we entered the Hidden Emperor's Fortress."

The passageway fell silent for a moment.

"Heaven-sent?" Meng Qi scratched his bald head. "This name... it sounds so... familiar..."

"Chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)." Lin Yan finished speaking for him.

Meng Qi nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, that's it!"

Jiang Zhiwei didn't smile. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her right hand gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. "Regardless of his name, the main quest must be completed. Nearly half of the three-hour time limit has passed. The central hall, the underground altar—we need to speed things up."

She looked at Lin Yan: "Can you sense the location of the altar?"

Lin Yan closed his eyes, unleashing the full power of his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart. Sword sensations surged forth like a tide, spreading in all directions, piercing through stone walls, layers of earth, and winding passageways, extending towards the center of the Hidden Emperor's Fortress. There, he sensed an extremely powerful aura—stronger than Cheng Yong, stronger than Ding Changsheng, stronger than any of the experts he had encountered before who were controlled by the Heart-Stealing Pill.

The aura lingered deep beneath the central hall, like a burning blue flame. At the center of the flame was a person. His aura was stable, unlike the violent aura of a puppet activated by the drug. He was conscious.

And he was laughing.

When Lin Yan sensed that aura, that person also sensed him. A thought extended in the opposite direction from Lin Yan's sword sense, like a cold finger gently touching his consciousness.

"I've found you."

That voice—elegant, composed, and with a hint of laughter—sounded directly in Lin Yan's mind.

Lin Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

"We found him," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "He's waiting for us."