Heavenly Sword Saint
Jian Ming stared at Jian Chen.
His sword was still raised.
"What do you mean..."
"You'll have to use your real cultivation level?"
Jian Chen didn't answer.
He simply stood there, his iron sword hanging loosely at his side.
Then
Boom!
A powerful aura erupted from his body.
Spiritual energy surged outward, sweeping across the platform.
The surrounding disciples froze.
The supervising elder's eyes narrowed.
"Seventh Stage..."
His voice carried a trace of disbelief.
"Early Seventh Stage!"
Silence.
The entire arena fell quiet.
Countless eyes locked onto Jian Chen.
"Early Seventh Stage?"
"Jian Chen reached the Seventh Stage?"
"But he only started cultivating a little over a month ago!"
"He couldn't cultivate for sixteen years!"
"And now he's already at the Early Seventh Stage?"
The whispers spread rapidly.
Jian Chen had spent sixteen years unable to cultivate.
Yet after finally recovering, he had needed only a little over a month to reach the Early Seventh Stage.
Even the elders couldn't hide their surprise.
The Third Elder's expression became solemn.
Jian Hu, however, looked completely stunned.
His face gradually lost its color.
"Early Seventh Stage..."
His fingers slowly tightened into fists.
He had believed Jian Ming's breakthrough would finally end Jian Chen's rise.
He had been certain of it.
But now...
Jian Chen had revealed another level of strength.
On the platform, Jian Ming's expression became complicated.
He stared at Jian Chen as though trying to understand what he was seeing.
"You only started cultivating a little over a month ago."
His voice was low.
"How did you reach the Seventh Stage?"
Jian Chen remained silent.
He simply raised his iron sword.
That single movement answered Jian Ming.
Jian Ming's expression hardened.
He had just broken through to the Early Ninth Stage.
He had already crossed into an entirely higher level of power.
He refused to believe Jian Chen could still defeat him.
"Even if you've reached the Seventh Stage..."
Jian Ming's grip tightened around his sword.
"I'll still defeat you!"
Boom!
His Ninth-Stage aura erupted.
Phantom Step!
His figure vanished.
In the next instant, Jian Ming appeared before Jian Chen, his sword cutting toward his chest.
Clang!
Jian Chen blocked.
The impact traveled through his arm.
He didn't retreat.
Instead, his wrist turned.
Cloud Gathering!
The iron sword swept forward.
Jian Ming immediately raised his blade.
Their swords collided.
This time
Jian Ming was forced several steps backward.
The disciples watching from below immediately noticed the difference.
"He's suppressing Jian Ming."
"An Early Seventh Stage is suppressing an Early Ninth Stage!"
"He really is a monster."
Nobody was as shocked as they would have been before.
Jian Chen had already defeated Jian Xuan while being two minor stages weaker.
He had already proven that his combat strength couldn't be measured by cultivation alone.
But Jian Ming had just broken through to the Ninth Stage.
And even then...
Jian Chen was still gaining the advantage.
Jian Ming's expression darkened.
He suddenly raised his sword.
Phantom Flow Sword Art!
Sword shadows spread across the platform.
Dozens of blades seemed to appear at once, surrounding Jian Chen from every direction.
Jian Chen's eyes remained calm.
He ignored the illusions.
His gaze followed Jian Ming's movements.
There.
Drifting Cloud!
His sword moved.
Clang!
The real blade was deflected.
Jian Ming's attack missed.
Before he could recover, Jian Chen stepped forward.
Flowing Cloud!
Swish!
The iron sword slipped through the opening in Jian Ming's defense.
Jian Ming twisted his body and barely blocked.
The force drove him backward.
His expression changed.
He hadn't expected Jian Chen to see through his technique so easily.
Jian Ming steadied himself.
His breathing had become heavier.
"How..."
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
"How can you see through my attacks?"
Jian Chen didn't answer.
He advanced again.
Jian Ming gritted his teeth.
He poured more spiritual energy into his sword.
The pressure surrounding him intensified.
"Phantom Flow!"
This time, Jian Ming unleashed everything.
The sword shadows multiplied.
Their movements became faster.
More precise.
More dangerous.
The Ninth-Stage spiritual energy contained within the attack made the surrounding air tremble.
Jian Chen remained composed.
He stepped forward.
Cloud Gathering!
Clang!
The incoming sword shadows shattered apart.
Jian Ming's pupils contracted.
Before he could change his stance—
Drifting Cloud!
Jian Chen's wrist turned.
Instead of meeting Jian Ming's strength head-on, he redirected it.
Jian Ming's balance shifted.
His sword was pushed aside.
His defense opened.
Flowing Cloud!
Swish!
The iron sword flashed across the gap.
Jian Ming staggered backward.
One step.
Then another.
His heel reached the edge of the platform.
He stopped himself.
But Jian Chen was already there.
The iron sword came to rest against Jian Ming's chest.
Silence.
Jian Ming stared at the blade.
His breathing was heavy.
His face was pale.
He had lost.
Despite breaking through to the Early Ninth Stage...
He had still been defeated.
By an Early Seventh Stage cultivator.
The supervising elder looked at Jian Ming before announcing,
"Jian Ming has lost."
The arena erupted.
"Jian Chen won!"
"He defeated Jian Ming!"
"An Early Seventh Stage defeated an Early Ninth Stage!"
"He really is a monster!"
"He only started cultivating a little over a month ago!"
The excitement spread throughout the younger generation.
Yet this time, there was little of the overwhelming disbelief that had accompanied Jian Xuan's defeat.
They had already witnessed Jian Chen's abnormal combat strength.
Jian Xuan had been two minor stages above him.
Jian Chen had defeated him.
Now he had done something even more astonishing.
He had suppressed, Jian Ming even after Jian Ming broke through to the Ninth Stage.
The disciples could only shake their heads.
"Jian Chen is really on another level."
Then another voice suddenly sounded.
"Wait."
"Jian Yuan is also at the Early Ninth Stage."
The discussion immediately shifted.
"That's right."
"Jian Yuan hasn't lost a single battle in this tournament."
"He's been the strongest younger-generation disciple for years."
"He also has twelve open meridians."
"His foundation is extremely solid."
One disciple frowned.
"But Jian Chen just defeated Jian Ming."
"Does that mean he can defeat Jian Yuan too?"
Another immediately shook his head.
"Don't compare Jian Ming with Jian Yuan."
"Jian Yuan has always been the strongest among us."
"He won't be easy to defeat."
Someone else spoke cautiously.
"But they're both at the Early Ninth Stage."
"And Jian Chen just suppressed Jian Ming."
"Can Jian Yuan really defeat him?"
"Of course he can."
"Jian Yuan will win."
"He's the strongest younger-generation disciple."
But another disciple hesitated.
"I'm not so sure anymore."
The discussion grew louder.
Jian Chen ignored all of it.
He lowered his sword and stepped away from Jian Ming.
His expression remained calm.
As if the battle had meant nothing more than another step forward.
But one person didn't share his calm.
Jian Hu.
He stood among the disciples, staring at Jian Ming.
His face was pale.
His fists were tightly clenched.
His mind was completely blank.
Jian Ming had broken through.
He had reached the Early Ninth Stage.
Jian Hu had believed that was enough.
He had believed Jian Chen's defeat was certain.
Yet Jian Chen had simply revealed his true cultivation...
And defeated him anyway.
Jian Hu's lips trembled.
"No..."
His voice was barely audible.
"How can this be?"
His hope had vanished.
The breakthrough he had placed all his hope in...
Had changed nothing.
Jian Hu slowly looked toward Jian Chen.
For sixteen years, everyone had known Jian Chen as the crippled young master.
The genius who had fallen.
The young master who could no longer cultivate.
But that Jian Chen...
Was gone.
The person standing before him was someone entirely different.
Someone Jian Hu could no longer look down upon.
He was a monster.
On the platform, Jian Chen slowly raised his head.
His gaze passed over the arena.
Beyond the Jian Clan.
Beyond the distant mountains.
Toward the vast sky.
For a moment...
Two figures appeared in his mind.
Lin Xue'er.
Long Tian.
His eyes gradually became colder.
A thousand years had passed since his death.
A thousand years.
With their talents...
With the backing of their powerful clans...
And with a thousand years of cultivation...
How powerful had they become?
Jian Chen understood better than anyone what a thousand years could mean to a true genius.
The two of them had already stood far above him in his previous life.
Now, a thousand years had passed.
Their cultivation had continued while his had ended.
There was no doubt.
They had reached heights that his current strength couldn't even approach.
Perhaps...
They had already stepped into realms that the former Jian Chen could only look up to.
But Jian Chen wasn't afraid.
Instead, his eyes became colder.
He had been given another chance.
A second life.
A chance to walk the path he had once lost.
This time...
He would not waste it.
Jian Chen slowly clenched his fist.
"If I'm to defeat those vile beings..."
His gaze became icy-cold.
"I must grow stronger."
A brief silence followed.
Then his voice became even firmer.
"And quickly."
A cold wind swept across the arena.
Jian Chen turned away from the sky.
His expression gradually returned to its usual calm.
The victory over Jian Xuan meant little.
The victory over Jian Ming meant little.
Even the upcoming battle against Jian Yuan...
Was only another step.
The tournament wasn't the end of his journey.
It wasn't even close.
It was merely the beginning.
Jian Chen tightened his grip around the iron sword.
His path...
Had only just begun.