"A sword is mere iron, becoming sentient through wielding, moving by the heart, living by blood, dying by obsession. Sword mastery lies in control—uniting mind and sword, cycling endlessly, never ceasing." Chen Xin recited the Shu Mountain sword manual, the three halos behind him growing more solid with his elevation.
Sword energy pierced the sky. Behind Chen Xin appeared a giant avatar in his likeness, clad in white.
The avatar, mountain-sized, controlled the Seven Kill Sword, multiplying it into thousands—ten thousand swords flying at once.
This wasn't Tianlin's "Ten Thousand Sword Technique" or "Afterimage Sword" with only a fraction of real power. Each divided sword, except for lacking the original's divine force, was just as sharp—a true divine weapon, fighting with over nine thousand pseudo-divine swords.
As the supreme Shu Mountain sword technique, this move was a super divine skill in Douluo World, letting the user fight foes many times stronger.
Qian Daoliu looked at the myriad swords in despair. Only if he used Angel Descent in the Worship Hall could he hope to resist. Now, he had no chance.
"Angel's Judgement!"
Still, Qian Daoliu wasn't one to wait for death. Even knowing he'd lose, he fought back with all his remaining soul power, launching his final attack.
Their powers collided in the air. Normally unbeatable, the angelic power was dispersed in less than three seconds by the Sword God's supreme attack. The myriad swords slashed around Qian Daoliu.
"Xue'er, you must survive," Qian Daoliu closed his eyes in despair. He knew he had lost completely.
But this time, he admitted defeat willingly. He had done his best. Chen Xin had no help—he was simply stronger. Winner takes all—nothing more to say. Qian Daoliu's only worry was Qian Renxue.
He feared she would seek revenge on Chen Xin. But she was no match, and without him, she could only reach godhood by cultivating to rank 99—her speed could never match Jun Tianlin's. If she sought revenge, she'd surely die.
"Qian Daoliu, how does hell look to you?" After a long time, Qian Daoliu felt no pain, but heard Chen Xin's voice.
He opened his eyes to see everything for tens of miles razed—the mountains flattened by their battle. Now, he stood in the center of thousands of swords, none piercing him. Clearly, Chen Xin had spared him.
"Chen Xin, why didn't you kill me? Don't you want revenge for your father?" Qian Daoliu asked.
"I told you, my father didn't hate you—he died with a smile," Chen Xin said calmly. "As for sparing you, it's because you're still needed. You promised my disciple, and you'll keep your word, right?"
Without Qian Daoliu, Hu Liena alone couldn't suppress the other Elders of Spirit Hall. To subdue the Spirit Empire, Qian Daoliu had to step up.
Qian Daoliu did not answer directly, but asked, "Chen Xin, can you tell me—what swordsmanship defeated me?"
"This is an ancient swordsmanship my disciple accidentally inherited, the Shu Mountain Sword Technique. Interested? Pity you want to help Qian Renxue become a god, so you don't have long. But after the continent is unified, I wouldn't mind teaching Qian Renxue. With her and my disciple's relationship, I'm sure he wouldn't object," Chen Xin said unexpectedly.
"Such exquisite swordsmanship, you'd really teach my granddaughter?" Qian Daoliu was surprised.
Chen Xin nodded. "Once you fulfill your promise, Spirit Hall and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will no longer be enemies. Qian Renxue and my disciple are close friends. If they're not enemies, they're friends. Why not teach her? Hoarding skills only hinders the progress of swordsmanship."
"Heh, Chen Xin, I'm not your equal. Today's battle, I concede. Don't worry, I'll keep my word. I suppose Bibi Dong is about to lose to Jun Tianlin as well." Qian Daoliu was relieved. Perhaps the Spirit Empire could never unify the world, but this result was good. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, unlike the two empires, would not slaughter indiscriminately. He respected Jun Tianlin and Chen Xin's mercy.
Hearing Qian Daoliu's admission, Chen Xin gazed at the sky, murmuring, "Father, I've won!"
Years of resentment were finally cleansed. Chen Xin's sword path would be brighter than ever.
The sword-shaped mark on his forehead flashed as Qian Daoliu conceded. Golden light descended, enveloping Chen Xin.
Qian Daoliu had seen this before—when he first lost to Chen Xin, when Chen Xin first drew the Sword God's attention and began his trial.
Now the same light appeared. Could it be—
Qian Daoliu's eyes widened. He realized that Chen Xin's trial was him. No wonder Chen Xin refused any assistance—not just to prove his own swordsmanship, but because it was the trial's requirement.
Within the light, Chen Xin met the Sword God again, who looked at him with appreciation.
"Chen Xin, you're the most outstanding sword genius I've seen in years. I made the right choice."
"Senior Sword God, am I now qualified to inherit your seat?" Chen Xin asked.
The Sword God nodded, "Of course. You've passed the trial. But I don't want you to just inherit it directly—it would be a waste of your talent. Would you like to try a different way? If anyone can break the bottleneck that's plagued me for millennia, it's you."
Chen Xin didn't understand, so he asked directly, "What do you mean? Please explain."
"Seat promotion!" The Sword God became solemn. "Our divine seats are not fixed; with enough strength, it's possible to upgrade. Each god has a different way. For the Angel and Sea God, it's faith; for Rakshasa and the Seven Deadly Sins, it's evil thoughts. For me, it's sword mastery.
"Chen Xin, your sword mastery surpasses mine. So, during the inheritance, you can try to break through again, promoting the level-two seat to level one. However, there are two big risks: first, the process takes a long time, so you won't be able to help your disciple for a while; second, if you fail, the seat may shatter, and you'll lose everything.
"There's no need to decide now—I'll give you three days. After that, I'll ask you again. If you're afraid, you can choose the normal inheritance. Whatever you choose, I'll support you." With that, the Sword God departed.
Leaving Chen Xin with a difficult choice.