Chapter 1929: Chapter 1918: Emergence
"Hmph—"
As the Golden Longsword appeared, dozens of sword-flowers bloomed in midair, then instantly turned into flowing radiance and pierced into the heart of the flames.
"Prosper—"
The Golden Sword had just stabbed into the center of the fire. A thunderous boom tore through heaven and earth, echoing across Heavenly Martial City.
Amid the deafening roar, the fiery battlefield that had already been riddled with countless cracks suddenly exploded.
Flames were blasted apart in endless numbers, like a mass of falling skyfire, like a sudden emergence of Purgatory, scaring the onlookers half to death.
Within the boundless sea of fire, a blood-drenched old man suddenly stepped out of the shattered golden cage and appeared atop the icy water’s surface.
His face was flushed a vicious crimson, and there was a great fissure running across his body.
Through that crack, one could even see his internal organs, muscles, and the blood vessels on his bones.
Most astonishing of all, in the middle of that fissure, a Golden Sword was standing upright.
One end of the Golden Sword was inlaid in the old man’s body with fresh blood; the other end was gripped in his blood-slicked hand.
"I must admit, if I were not someone whose achievements far surpassed yours, you really might have killed me with this sword."
"To deal with me, you actually forced out the Fifth Layer’s Soldier. You truly are skilled at countering Leng Shui!"
The blood-clad man held the blade that was stuck in his body in one hand, letting his arm naturally hang at his side. His tone was extremely arrogant.
"What use is hard work? I still didn’t kill you!"
Shui Ling glanced over coldly, expressionless, and looked at Bai Lixi as he spoke.
Baili Qian sneered. "Your trump card is already spent. Now it’s my turn!"
Before the words finished leaving his mouth, Baili Qian’s left hand suddenly grasped at the air.
Seeing this, Shui Linghan hastily dodged away.
However, his speed was still too slow. Before the water could pour out of the opening, one side of the golden birdcage had already trapped him within.
"I’ve just seen your domain. Now it’s time for you to behold mine!"
But he could not, much less could he stand against Berish. Even if he did kill Berish and the people of Luoyun Valley, would they let him leave?
So although Ao Cangsheng’s fury constantly burned in his chest, he could only endure it, not daring to make the slightest move.
Behind Ao Cangsheng were all the remaining stalwarts of Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School from this battle.
When they saw that Shui Ling was no longer in the arena, they understood everything.
Just like Ao Kangsheng, these men were seething with rage, yet they could only swallow it, staring coldly at the empty air as tears streamed down their cheeks without them even noticing.
"Since Shui Linhan is dead, I will not pursue Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School’s crime this time!"
Baili Qian swept his gaze gently yet domineeringly over Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School as he spoke in a tone of sovereign authority.
Having said this, he slowly turned and gave Shui Tianze a slight nod.
Shui Tianze’s expression was still dark, but the frenzied rage from before had faded.
Shui Lingxing was dead; as for the rest of Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School, there was nothing to fear.
Although they could not slaughter them now, once this decisive battle concluded, Luoyun Valley would have countless ways to completely eradicate the remnants of Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School’s evil.
Seeing the change in Shui Tianze’s gaze, in that instant, the powerhouses of the other Martial Arts Schools hovering in the sky all revealed their fear.
At present, Sky Martial Arts Academy still had more than forty elites at the Celestial level and above.
According to the rules of the decisive battle, the defeated side must forfeit the lives of all experts above the Three Realms of Celestials.
In other words, though these forty-odd elites had survived the duel itself, they would still die in the final judgement.
Thinking of this, many of the strong felt their hearts violently tremble as they frantically searched for a way to stay alive.
Shui Tianze glanced at Ao Cangsheng, then finally leapt into the air and shouted loudly, "In this decisive battle, Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School has won two consecutive matches and claimed the final victory."
"According to the rules of the contest, the losing side must—"
"Whoosh—"
Before Shui Tianze could finish speaking, several figures suddenly broke away from Sky Martial Arts Academy’s camp and sped into the air, fleeing.
At this scene, Shui Tianze couldn’t help but give a cold snort. "Where are you fleeing to? Kill them!"
In an instant, the stalwarts standing at Shui Tianze’s side turned into streaking ribbons of light and gave chase.
"Ah—"
In the blink of an eye, a scream echoed from afar, followed quickly by a second and a third.
All those who tried to escape were dead.
This terrifying scene immediately scared the rest who had been preparing to flee; their thoughts of running vanished at once.
Rather than die at the hands of those executioners without even a complete corpse, they might as well choose their own deaths.
After the dozen-odd iron-blooded figures from Luoyun Valley returned, they did not immediately go back to Luoyun Valley’s camp. Instead, they directly ringed Sky Martial Arts Academy from the outside, preventing anyone else from escaping.
Shui Tianze cast a cold glance at the stalwarts of Sky Martial Arts Academy in the air, then continued, "By the rules, the losers must pay with their own lives!"
"Since Sky Martial Arts Academy has lost, what more can I say?"
At this point, Shui Tianze’s eyes suddenly narrowed.
"To lose is to lose. Eighteen years from now, I’ll be a hero again!"
Suddenly, a middle-aged man in gray stepped out from the crowd and shouted loudly before everyone.
As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man in gray suddenly brought his right palm down on his own forehead.
"Bang—"
With a muffled thud, blood instantly gushed from the forehead of the gray-robed middle-aged man.
The light in his eyes rapidly faded; his body trembled twice, then toppled to the ground.
Following the middle-aged leader in gray, three or four elderly men quickly stepped out from Sky Martial Arts Academy’s camp.
Just like that gray-robed middle-aged man, they first voiced a hero’s declaration, then raised their hands and ended their own lives.
As the powerhouses fell one after another, the faces of everyone else from the Martial Arts School turned as pale as paper.
What they mourned was not only the lives of these experts before their eyes, but also Sky Martial Arts Academy’s very first choice.
If Sky Martial Arts Academy had not intervened in the affair between Luoyun Valley and Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School, there would not have been so many stalwarts dying on the field of battle, nor so many heroes choosing their own deaths.
Although Sky Martial Arts Academy’s actions had shattered Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts School, they had undoubtedly also ignited the Fire Seed and in the end played with fire and burned themselves.
The decisive battle had finally ended, but the outcome was far too tragic.
Not only had the entire Tianwu Plaza been reduced to ruins, those two peak-era academies would never again return to their former prosperity.
Thus, even to speak of the strengths of either side in the future became rare, let alone any talk of rivalry.
"What are you two brats still doing here? Get lost!"
Staring at his two grandchildren who were still bickering with each other, Bai Lixi suddenly flared up, cursing at them.
After that, Baili Xu did not stay any longer, and His Majesty also returned to attend to state affairs for the people.
"Let me see!"
In the end, Baili Chuanqiong cast Baili Chuan a vicious glance as he spoke.
Baili Longyuan said nothing, only narrowing his eyes ever so slightly.
In terms of methods, Baili Chuanqiong was not Bai Long’s equal. With His Majesty’s support behind him, Baili Longyuan did not believe that Baili Chuanqiong could truly defeat him.
With the fall of Cloud Valley and the withdrawal of the Royal Family, the defeated Soldiers from the two academies also silently turned and left.
This decisive battle was like a great dream. Were it not for the ruins of Tianwu Plaza, were it not for the thousands of corpses, many would have thought that once they awoke, everything could return to how it once was.
On that very day, in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Tang Emperor died of grievous illness. In the final moments of his life, Baili Chunqiu left behind an imperial edict, passing the throne to Prince Baili Longyuan.
This marked the end of the flourishing Yuan Long era. Baili Longyuan ascended the throne, changing the reign title to Yong Qing.
Shortly after Yuan Hong led the remaining Elders and disciples back to the academy, Ao Cangsheng opened a yellow brocade pouch.
This brocade pouch had been personally entrusted to him by Han Shuling.
