Supreme Being: The Sword of True Martial Arts

The moment the cyan crystal shattered, the light in the entire hall dimmed.

It wasn't that the light disappeared, but rather that all the azure light contracted at the same moment, surging towards the center of the altar like receding tides, and was completely absorbed into the body of the huddled figure. The forty-nine men in black simultaneously let out a low groan, their bodies shaking violently. Several of the weaker ones collapsed to the ground, their emerald eyes rapidly dimming, turning a murky gray-white. Their life force had been drained.

Lin Yan gripped the iron sword, his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart operating at full speed, locking onto the figure in the center of the altar.

Fragments of the crystal floated in the air, as if held up by an invisible hand, slowly rotating. Each fragment reflected a bluish light, slicing the entire hall into countless tiny spots of light. These spots of light fell on the ground, the walls, and the faces of the men in black, like a silent bluish snowfall.

Then, the fragments fell.

The figure finally revealed its true form.

A young girl.

She looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, wearing an ill-fitting blue robe, the hem of which dragged on the ground, the cuffs rolled up several times, as if she had stolen an adult's clothes. She stood barefoot among the fragments of the altar, her ankles slender, her skin so white it was almost translucent, revealing the blue veins beneath. Her hair was very long, reaching her waist, in its raw, unkempt state, the ends slightly curled, with a few fragments of crystal still clinging to it.

She looked up.

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Those eyes were blue—not the emerald green of those controlled by the Heart-Stealing Pill, nor the clear jade blue of a gift from heaven, but an extremely pure blue, seemingly capable of reflecting all things. Like two pools of blue water, crystal clear yet unfathomably deep. Anyone standing before those eyes would feel as if they were being seen through.

But this wasn't the reason Lin Yan's heart was racing.

What truly shook him was his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart. The moment the girl opened her eyes, the Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart trembled violently. It wasn't a warning of danger, but rather a kind of... resonance. Like two strings of a musical instrument with the same frequency, when one is plucked, the other vibrates in response. Lin Yan clearly sensed a power within the girl—a power remarkably similar to his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart.

She can "see" the flow of internal energy. She can "see" flaws.

The girl's gaze swept across the main hall, over the black-clad man slumped on the ground, over Qi Xia holding the Water-Splitting Dagger and standing ready for battle, over Meng Qi holding the monk's knife with a pale face, and over Yan Wujiang huddled in a corner muttering to himself.

Then, her gaze fell on Jiang Zhiwei.

"Your sword is fast," she said. Her voice was soft and crisp, like a stream flowing beneath the ice. There was no emotional fluctuation, just a statement of fact. "But the injury to your left shoulder is affecting your internal energy circulation. If we fight again, you can only unleash a maximum of seven strikes."

Jiang Zhiwei narrowed her eyes slightly and remained silent.

The girl's gaze continued to move, finally landing on Lin Yan.

She looked at Lin Yan, and Lin Yan looked at her. The moment their eyes met, the resonance of their Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart reached its peak. Lin Yan could "hear" the sound of her internal energy flowing—not with his ears, but directly perceived by his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart. Her energy flow was very similar to his, both following the optimized shortest path. No, not just "very similar." They were exactly the same.

The girl tilted her head, and Lin Yan's reflection was seen in her blue eyes.

"You also have a sword heart," she said. Not a question, but a confirmation. "Just like me."

Lin Yan's pupils contracted slightly. "Sword Heart?"

The girl did not answer. She lowered her head, looking at her hands, her fingers slowly closing and then slowly opening, as if confirming control of her body. Azure true energy flowed at her fingertips, condensing into thin blades of energy, then dissipating into nothingness.

"He calls it 'The Sword Heart of All Things'," Tianci's voice came from the other side of the altar.

He remained standing on the black stone steps, his moon-white robe fluttering slightly in the azure light. After the crystal shattered, his face paled slightly, a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing became slightly rapid. Clearly, maintaining the altar had consumed a great deal of his energy. Yet, a composed smile still lingered on his lips, and a greedy glint shone in his azure eyes—not at Lin Yan, but at the girl.

"To nurture her, I spent three years, using the life force of forty-nine Qi Refining stage experts, plus a fragment of sword heart brought from the Ling Mountain ruins." Tianci's voice carried a hint of pride, as if he were showing off his most prized creation. "Her sword heart is not yet fully mature—according to my estimation, it will require at least the life force of seven more Qi Refining stage experts to fully awaken her. But you arrived too quickly. But it's alright."

He raised his right hand, his five fingers loosely clenched. Seven of the forty-nine men in black suddenly stood up, their emerald eyes regaining their light. Their movements were no longer stiff, but rather like puppets being pulled by an invisible force, walking to Tianci and lining up in a row.

"These seven people, plus 30% of my own cultivation, should be enough for her to complete her final awakening."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the bodies of the seven men in black exploded simultaneously. Instead of flying blood and flesh, bursts of pure azure light erupted from their bodies, converging into a river of azure light that continuously flowed into Tianci's right hand. Tianci's face paled further, but his eyes grew brighter. With a flick of his right hand, the river of azure light turned towards the girl, enveloping her entirely.

The girl did not dodge. She stood in the azure river of light, her azure eyes slowly closing, her expression as calm as a stagnant pool. But Lin Yan's Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart sensed that the true energy within her body was increasing at an astonishing rate—from the Qi Accumulation stage to the Aperture Opening stage, one aperture, two apertures, three apertures... In just a few breaths, she had already opened five apertures.

"Stop him!" Jiang Zhiwei shouted sternly.

Her sword was faster than sound. The sword light, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, aimed straight for Tianci's throat. This strike held nothing back—Jiang Zhiwei's left shoulder wound had reopened, blood seeping from beneath the bandage, staining half of her pale yellow dress crimson. But her sword remained unwavering. A sword strike devoid of self.

Tianci didn't move. He didn't even look at Jiang Zhiwei. His right hand still loosely held the cyan river of light, while his left hand rose and flicked lightly with his fingers. A cyan energy shot out from his fingertips, striking precisely the middle of Jiang Zhiwei's sword. That was the only weak point in Jiang Zhiwei's strike—there was an extremely slight delay in the path of true energy traveling from her dantian to the sword tip. It was a lingering effect of her left shoulder injury.

"clang!"

The longsword was deflected, and Jiang Zhiwei took three steps back, her hand on her hand split open, and blood dripped down the hilt of the sword.

"The Supreme Sword Manual truly lives up to its reputation." Tianci still didn't look at her, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on a dish. "It's a pity you haven't mastered it yet. With Su Wuming's sword strike, there are only a handful of people in the world who could withstand it. As for you—you're still far from it."

Qi Xia's Water-Splitting Spike attacked from the side. Instead of a direct assault, she circled around to Tianci's right rear, aiming the Water-Splitting Spike directly at the energy node in his right arm. Tianci raised his left hand again, bringing his index and middle fingers together and gently pinching it. The Water-Splitting Spike remained firmly in place between his fingers.

"Tang flowers." Tianci glanced at the spot in Qi Xia's arms. "If you detonate it now, it might only blow off one of my fingers. But those Tang flowers in your arms will also detonate at the same time. Are you sure you want to switch?"

Qi Xia's face turned ashen, but she didn't back down. She bit her tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the Water-Splitting Thorn. The blue light on the Water-Splitting Thorn suddenly surged, forcing Tianci's fingers open a tiny gap. It was this tiny gap that allowed Qi Xia to pull back the Water-Splitting Thorn and stagger back several steps.

Meng Qi, brandishing his monk's knife, tried to rush forward, but Lin Yan grabbed him. "Going up there will only be suicide," Lin Yan said in a low voice. "Stay with Master Yan, don't let him die."

He drew the iron sword from his waist. It wasn't Cheng Yong's high-caliber longsword—he wasn't used to that. It was still this standard outer-school iron sword, weighing only three ounces, with a slightly curved blade. His hand holding the sword was steady, but his palms were already sweating.

Tianci finally looked at him.

"You're coming too?" Tianci's tone carried a hint of curiosity. "Your sword sense is indeed quite good, but your cultivation level is too low. You've only reached the Qi Accumulation stage, not even the Opening Qi stage yet. Even if you find my weakness, your sword won't be as fast as mine."

Lin Yan didn't answer. His Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart was operating at full power, locked onto Tianci. Tianci's cultivation was at the Six Apertures level, one aperture higher than Cheng Yong and two apertures higher than Jiang Zhiwei. But that wasn't the most important thing—the most important thing was that he was channeling a cyan light river into the girl. The flow of true qi in his right hand was extremely vast, but also extremely unstable. With each breath that light river circulated, the true qi within Tianci's body would decrease by one unit. He was using his own cultivation to nourish the girl.

An opening. The River of Light. The right arm. The instant Tianci draws his true energy from his dantian and channels it into the River of Light through his right arm, his dantian will experience an extremely brief vacuum period. That vacuum period lasts less than half a breath, but it's enough for Lin Yan to thrust his sword. The prerequisite is that his sword can be faster than Tianci's left hand.

"I'm not enough on my own," Lin Yan suddenly said.

Jiang Zhiwei looked up at him. Her right hand was still bleeding, the hilt of her sword stained red, but her eyes remained sharp. "And me?"

"enough."

Lin Yan moved.

His sword wasn't aimed at Tianci, but at the azure river of light. The instant the sword tip touched the river, the true energy of the Intercepting River style erupted, cutting off an extremely brief interruption in the flow of light. The river's circulation paused for a moment—less than a third of a breath.

But that's enough.

The flow of true energy in Tianci's right hand was interrupted, creating a vacuum in his dantian. At the same time, Jiang Zhiwei's sword arrived. It wasn't aimed at Tianci's throat, but at the vital energy point in his right arm—the "Hand Three Miles" point. That was the weakness Lin Yan had just found using the Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart. With the flow of true energy in Tianci's right arm interrupted, the flow of true energy at the "Hand Three Miles" point would be disrupted.

Tianci's expression finally changed.

He raised his left hand, intending to deflect the sword as he had deflected Jiang Zhiwei's first strike. But his left hand was only halfway raised when Lin Yan's second sword had already struck. This sword wasn't aimed at Tianci, but at a point on the trajectory of Tianci's left hand. If Tianci continued to raise his hand, his hand would collide with the tip of Lin Yan's sword on its own.

Tianci had no choice but to back down.

Just as he withdrew his hand, Jiang Zhiwei's sword pierced his right arm at the Shousanli acupoint.

"laugh."

The sound of the sword tip piercing flesh was faint, but Tianci's body trembled violently as if struck by lightning. The flow of true energy into his right arm was completely severed, and the azure river of light, having lost its source, shook violently a few times before shattering with a deafening roar. Azure light spots scattered and flew everywhere, like a azure rain.

The girl opened her eyes.

A blue light surged from her body, several times more intense than before. Her cultivation had broken through to the sixth level—higher than Tianci's. But she didn't look at Tianci, nor at Lin Yan. She lowered her head, looking at her hands, a hint of confusion flashing in her blue eyes.

"Who am I?" she asked softly.

No one answered.

Tianci clutched the wound on his right arm, the composed smile finally vanishing from his face. He stared at the girl, his blue eyes filled with disbelief. "You should obey my orders! I created you! Your sword heart, your cultivation, your life—all of it was given to you by me!"

The girl looked up at him, her blue eyes devoid of any emotion—no gratitude, no anger, no hatred. Only a pure, all-encompassing blue.

"You gave me Kenshin," she said, her voice still soft and crisp, "but Kenshin told me that you are not my master."

She raised her right hand, her five fingers loosely clenched. A longsword formed from pure azure light took shape in her palm. The sword was transparent, revealing the flowing patterns of true energy within, each pattern precise to the extreme, without any superfluous elements.

"Kenshin told me," the girl raised her lightsaber, the tip pointing at Tianci, "that you only see me as a tool. And a tool doesn't need a master."

The lightsaber thrust out.

This sword strike was devoid of any fancy moves; it was a straight, direct thrust. But Tianci's face turned completely pale—because he couldn't dodge it. The girl's sword precisely pierced the core of his true energy in his dantian, a location precisely where the flow of true energy throughout his body was weakest after his right arm was injured. It was exactly the same as Lin Yan's swordsmanship. Even more precise than Lin Yan's.

Tianci retreated swiftly. He retreated quickly, but the girl's sword was even faster. The light sword pierced the outer side of his dantian, its sword energy penetrating his body. Tianci groaned, his entire body flying backward, crashing into the black stone steps, creating spiderweb-like cracks. He struggled to stand, but with his dantian injured and his true energy dissipating, he managed to prop himself up halfway before collapsing back down. His moon-white robe was covered in dust and bloodstains, and his hair was disheveled, obscuring half his face. The image of that elegant and composed noble young master was completely gone.

The girl did not pursue. She sheathed her lightsaber and turned to look at Lin Yan. Her blue eyes remained devoid of emotion, but Lin Yan's Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart sensed that she was "looking" at him. Not with her eyes, but with her sword heart. A "look" exactly the same as his Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart.

"Your sword spirit is more complete than mine," the girl said, "but it hasn't awakened yet."

Lin Yan's pupils contracted slightly. "Awakening? What is awakening?"

The girl didn't answer. She lowered her head and looked at her hands again. "I don't know. Kenshin told me it's incomplete. It's missing something—something you have." She raised her head, her blue eyes looking directly at Lin Yan. "Can you help me find it?"

Lin Yan opened his mouth, about to speak.

Just then, the entire hall trembled violently.

It wasn't an earthquake—the tremors came from deep within the main hall. Behind the black stone steps, the wall, engraved with array patterns, suddenly cracked open, revealing a downward staircase. From the depths of the staircase came a low, heart-pounding sound. Thump, thump, thump. Each sound dimmed the blue light emanating from the main hall.

Tianci leaned against the broken stone steps and suddenly smiled.

"You think she's the only one on the altar?" His voice was hoarse and weak, but his smile held a mad glee. "The crystal is her, the altar is the array, and the entire Hidden Royal Castle is an even larger array. In these three years, I've only given her 30% of the life force I extracted. The remaining 70%—" He coughed up blood, but his laughter grew louder and louder, "is all down there."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The heartbeat grew louder. Something was awakening in the darkness deep within the stairs.

The girl turned around, her blue eyes looking at the stairs. Her face remained expressionless, but Lin Yan's Myriad Manifestations Sword Heart sensed that her sword heart was trembling—not because of resonance, but because of danger.

"It's awake," the girl said.