Chapter 530: Two Hundred Years Speak of a Hundred-Year Jianghu

The City of Martial Emperors in the East Sea was always known for three peculiarities: first, it always had more outsiders than local residents; second, its inner wall was perpetually covered with countless weapons; and third, and most peculiar, it was home to the self-proclaimed "Second Under Heaven" who had lived for a century. For those in the Jianghu of Liyang, not having visited the City of Martial Emperors was akin to a martial artist not having experienced the world. The first peculiarity was, in fact, not strange at all. Every year, several Grade Two Grandmasters, and even Grade One experts, attempted to ascend the city, hoping to achieve instant fame. For instance, when Sword Nine Huang ascended the tower, it drew top experts like Cao Changqing to spectate, which in turn attracted a multitude of curious heroes and chivalrous figures to the city.

The second peculiarity was even more logical: if one failed to ascend the tower, they had to leave behind their most prized weapon, embedded in the wall. Old Monster Wang had dominated the City of Martial Emperors with unparalleled might for sixty years. In his first decade, he often faced three or four challenges a day. Over time, that wall became packed with divine weapons and formidable armaments, including a contribution from Song Nianqing, the former Sect Master of Dongyue Sword Pond. Only the third peculiarity remained a mystery: why Wang Xianzhi, clearly the foremost figure in the world, still insisted on calling himself "Second Under Heaven." No one ever knew the true reason. The city also housed numerous weapon shops, pawnshops, and training grounds, which were easy to explain. What else could one do to gain fame in the City of Martial Emperors if not through fighting? Many renowned heroes of that era had fought their way to eminence in their youth. However, the training grounds in the city had recently fallen silent. This was due to the utterly bizarre "sword entering the city" incident a few days prior, which left everyone bewildered. The previous year, Beiliang had presumptuously established a "Top Ten Martial Artists" list, and among swordsmen, only the Peach Blossom Sword God, Deng Tai'a, made the cut. Yet, it was rumored that he had embarked on a sea journey to seek immortals and had not been heard from since.

But then, a sword, which had long hovered outside the City of Martial Emperors, finally moved when the entire city's Jianghu lost patience. It was a child, throwing pebbles at the sword, who first noticed its movement. When the child excitedly ran home to tell his father, a pharmacist, the news, the father rolled his eyes and ignored him, assuming he had simply missed the excitement. Forget the sword control of a Land Immortal, even the flying sword techniques of the Wu Family Sword Tomb would have brought the sword to the City of Martial Emperors' pavilion much faster. However, to everyone's surprise, although the sword did enter the city, it did so extremely slowly. It took a full hour for the sword to cross from the outer city over the city wall. The moment the sword moved, a long-renowned swordsman from the pavilion descended like a rainbow to the city wall. This was Lou Huang, Wang Xianzhi's fourth disciple, aged forty-six, who wielded the sword "Pusa Man." Lou Huang was an astonishingly talented swordsman, who had taken an unconventional path, abandoning traditional martial arts principles in pursuit of pure technique. It was like a person walking with a limp, but Lou Huang, despite his unique style, was unmatched in the Jianghu. Wang Xianzhi had once intended for Lou Huang to guard the pavilion when Song Nianqing of the Sword Pond attempted to ascend a second time, but unfortunately, Song Nianqing died suddenly. Nevertheless, Lou Huang's profound swordsmanship was evident. Lou Huang sat cross-legged, his sword resting across his knees, waiting patiently for a full hour. When the flying sword finally arrived at the city wall at a snail's pace, Lou Huang drew his sword, "Pusa Man," and met the incoming blade tip-to-tip. The incoming sword's momentum was negligible, yet Lou Huang's "Pusa Man" did not budge an inch. Lou Huang then stood, guiding "Pusa Man" as he retreated step by step, following the unsheathed sword. Three hours later, Lou Huang was exhausted, his tendons ruptured, yet he still could not cause the nameless longsword to pause or tremble even slightly. For the next three hours, the City Lord's third disciple, Lin Ya, took over the task of blocking the sword. Lin Ya, thirty-two years old, was also a great beauty on the Rouge List. Her tall stature rivaled that of northern men, and her physique was imposing yet uniquely graceful, truly breathtaking. She was the foremost grandmaster of fist techniques under heaven. However, no matter how much power she mustered to strike the longsword, she could not halt its steady advance. With her final punch, Lin Ya leaped skyward, soaring into the clouds, and brought her fist down. Buildings within dozens of feet below the longsword collapsed into rubble. Lin Ya, with her fiery temper, clearly could not accept this outcome. Like a madwoman, she ran like thunder to the training ground, hauled back a large cauldron, and smashed it fiercely onto the longsword, which seemed to mock her. Still, it was futile. Lin Ya slumped to the ground, her gaze vacant. Then, the Qigong Grandmaster Gong Banque appeared. As the eldest of Wang Xianzhi's four disciples, Gong Banque was bald with nine monastic scars on his head. He wore a Taoist robe instead of a Buddhist cassock. It was rumored in the city that he possessed the physique of a Buddhist Arhat, yet also mastered six arcane Taoist techniques of "Finger Profundity," and was an expert in mysterious Qigong. Gong Banque's methods were indeed dazzling. Unlike his junior fellow disciple Lou Huang and junior sister Lin Ya, he did not directly engage the longsword. Instead, he stood in the inner city pavilion, and with each flick of his sleeve, he sent a weapon from the wall hurtling towards the longsword. The City of Martial Emperors endured three full hours of thunderous clanging. Some residents with weaker internal energy were in agony and fled the city for refuge. Gong Banque waved his sleeves one hundred and seven times, sending one hundred and seven weapons, seven or eight of which were destroyed upon impact. Ultimately, the longsword was only twenty Zhang from the pavilion. The entire City of Martial Emperors felt that even if the City Lord himself were to intervene, it would take his full strength to prevent this sword from entering the pavilion.

Then, Wang Xianzhi's rarely seen eldest disciple, Yu Xinlang, stood before the sword. However, no one personally witnessed the true events on the city wall at that time. It was only after the outcome surfaced that rumors spread, claiming Yu Xinlang had used a single saber strike to block the "unreasonable" sword that sought slowness rather than speed. In reality, Yu Xinlang had no saber with him at all. He simply floated down alone before the longsword, leisurely circling the flying sword again and again. When the flying sword's tip was only six Zhang from the pavilion, he once again stood before the longsword, closed his eyes, and gently pressed its tip with two fingers.

At this very moment, the top floor of the pavilion presented a scene no one could have imagined: the burly Old Monster Wang, dressed in linen clothes and shoes, stood by the window, overlooking the entire city. Inside the pavilion sat the "Sword-Eating Monster." What was even more comical was the complete lack of tension within the pavilion, for the Sword-Eating Old Patriarch, whose true name, Sui Xingu, was no longer known in the Jianghu, sat cross-legged, drinking a pot of wine. A small girl in green, half-crouching, was pulling on the two knee-length white eyebrows of this old monster, meticulously tying them into knots. Her small face wore an unusually serious expression, and her hand movements were precise. The Sword-Eating Old Patriarch, for his part, was not angered; instead, he smiled, allowing the little girl to playfully mess with him, his gaze towards her somewhat strange. When Yu Xinlang's feet lifted from the ground, his body suspended in mid-air, and his two fingers finally pressed the sword tip down by half an inch, Wang Xianzhi nodded. He turned around and sat opposite Sui Xingu. The green-clad child raised her hand, shaking the knot she had tied in the white eyebrow, and smiled brightly at the City Lord of Martial Emperors, as if seeking praise. Wang Xianzhi, who was never seen to smile in front of his four disciples, offered a faint smile and beckoned her. The little girl in green shook her head, clearly finding the white-browed old grandpa's eyebrows more entertaining, and continued to crouch, carefully tying knots. Could there truly be someone in the world who didn't take Wang Xianzhi seriously?

The Sword-Eating Old Patriarch laughed, "You've been benevolent and righteous enough towards Li Chungang. But with his stubborn temper, he disdained the notion of Buddhist or Taoist reincarnation, unwilling to become a carefree immortal or to continue his destiny in the next life. Li Chungang is simply Li Chungang. All grievances and injustices are settled in one lifetime, and all unrighteousness is leveled with one sword. That's the kind of Sword God even you, Wang Xianzhi, would willingly admire. Li Chungang has died in every lifetime, and so has Fengdu Lvpaor. As for Deng Tai'a, even if he returns from seeking immortals, his swordsmanship and sword dao are no less than Li Chungang's. But for you and me, he's still not as much to our liking as Li Chungang."

Wang Xianzhi calmly said, "Yu Xinlang could only use the residual momentum from Lou Huang, Lin Ya, and Gong Banque to block half of your sword. How did you stop this sword?"

The Sword-Eating Old Patriarch ignored him, lowering his head and smiling at the green-clad girl, "Little girl, go to the wall and fetch a good sword for Grandpa to accompany my wine."

The ethereal-looking girl looked up, said "Oh," and trotted out. She genuinely went and, with a slight struggle, dutifully bent over on the city wall, pulled out a nearby longsword, and carried it back into the pavilion, gripping the hilt with both hands. Sui Xingu laughed heartily, broke off an inch of the sword tip with two fingers, and popped it into his mouth. Seeing the green-clad child looking at him expectantly, as if she were a bit greedy, the Sword-Eating Old Patriarch chuckled, "Don't learn from Grandpa and eat swords, or when you grow up, you'll scare off all the men!"

Seeing the child continue to focus on his white eyebrows, Sui Xingu said to Wang Xianzhi, "Since you had your disciples block the sword, it's clear you don't want to fight me. That's fine; I'm not entirely confident of victory myself for now. I reckon Deng Tai'a will be back soon. Rather than fighting you, I'm more curious if Li Chungang's lending him a sword from a thousand li away was truly worth it. If I defeat Deng Tai'a at his peak, my chances against you would be much greater. However, given your 'never refuse a challenger' nature, why would you let your disciples show their faces? You don't seem like an old man on his deathbed; why are you acting as if you're entrusting your legacy?"

Wang Xianzhi calmly replied, "I'm waiting for one final battle. After that, I will ascend. Once I'm gone, the City of Martial Emperors will cease to exist. Initially, Han Shengxuan sought to emulate Gao Shulu, slaughtering all Grade One martial artists across the three realms of Jianghu. Many lone practitioners fled into this city. After that, a rule was established for the martial arts rankings: no one from the City of Martial Emperors would be listed. Among my four disciples, including Yu Xinlang, I plan to send Gong Banque and Lou Huang to the capital, Lin Ya to the Southern Border. As for Yu Xinlang's path, I haven't decided yet, but I will most likely entrust Lv Yi to his care."

Sui Xingu's eyes widened. "Judging by your tone, your final battle isn't with me, nor Deng Tai'a, nor does it sound like Cao Changqing. Is it Tuoba Pusa?"

Wang Xianzhi scoffed, "That Northern Barbarian? He's destined to eat my dust. As long as I, Wang Xianzhi, live, he will never become the foremost under heaven. His current martial arts cultivation is merely what I was thirty years ago. Even if he were to obtain that weapon, he'd only be equivalent to me twenty years ago. What's there to fight about?"

Sui Xingu puzzled, "Back then, Qi Xuanzhen was unwilling to fight you, and later Hong Xiang, who had the potential to rival you, also voluntarily disbanded his martial spirit. But in my opinion, those two – well, actually one person – were not as formidable as their identities five hundred years ago. It seems for the entire five hundred years after Lu Dongxuan, you, Wang Xianzhi, have been invincible. Take Liu Songtao, for instance, the leader of Mount Zhulu whom I helped defend; he was slightly inferior to Li Chungang. Go back another two hundred years, and Wu Doubing, the sword immortal patriarch of the Wu Family Sword Tomb, merely gained fame when there were no true heroes; he dominated the Jianghu for forty years, but at best, he was another Liu Songtao. As for Gao Shulu, the great demon who caused a catastrophe four hundred years ago, scattering all top experts in the Jianghu, he indeed had exceptional skills, but he was only slightly stronger than the current Tuoba Pusa. Today's Jianghu is vastly different from before. You, Tuoba Pusa, Li Chungang, Deng Tai'a, and that woman in white – any one of you, if placed in any Jianghu for a hundred years, except for the one where Gao Shulu existed, could fight unrivaled under heaven. Of course, that includes me too."

Wang Xianzhi sneered, "It's all Huang Longshi's doing."

The green-clad girl suddenly ran to Wang Xianzhi's side and curiously asked, "Grandpa, why don't you call yourself 'this old man' anymore?"

Wang Xianzhi ruffled her head, pointed to Sui Xingu opposite him, and smiled, "This fellow is twenty-something years older than Grandpa, but he's just old; his skills aren't that great."

Sui Xingu bristled, snapped off a section of sword, threw it into his mouth, and angrily exclaimed, "Wang Xianzhi, how about we fight right now?!"

Wang Xianzhi merely cast a sideways glance at Sui Xingu, bothering to ignore him. The Sword-Eating Old Man's two white eyebrows, tied with countless knots, instantly straightened and fluttered in the air. The green-clad girl, seeing this, became anxious. She quickly ran over, jumping to pull down the two long eyebrows that were taller than her, hugged them to her chest, and continued patiently tying knots. Sui Xingu sighed helplessly and asked, "Do you think Chen Zhibao, seizing the opportunity of Dragon Tree Monk's nirvana, has achieved the Confucian Sage realm and can now defeat that secretive Gu Jiantang?"

Wang Xianzhi shook his head.

Sui Xingu looked bewildered. "This boy's talent is extraordinary, truly rare. Why did he go to Tai'an City to become the Minister of War? Why didn't he get enfeoffed as a king in Western Shu, where he could have a better mindset and leisure to improve his realm?"

Wang Xianzhi smiled, "Chen Zhibao is waiting for Cao Changqing, also a Confucian Sage, to die in the restoration of Western Chu. Only then can he 'borrow momentum,' decisively defeat Gu Jiantang, and become qualified to fight me."

Sui Xingu was stunned for a moment, then let out a deep sigh, "The younger generation is truly formidable."

Wang Xianzhi remained silent.

Sui Xingu asked with a smile, "Putting aside the ten people already on the martial arts list, who do you think will rise to prominence in the next fifty years?"

Wang Xianzhi closed his eyes and slowly said, "As for swordsmen, Lu Baijie, whose Tangxi sword you ate, originally had remarkable sword intent and could have achieved great things later in life, but becoming a Vice Minister of War completely wasted his potential. Wang Xiaoping was once misguided, but now he is inseparable from Liu Songtao, receiving both sword instruction and Buddhist-Taoist tempering; his future is limitless. Qi Xianxia within the city previously only possessed a superficial 'immortal aura' from Dragon Tiger Mountain but lacked true chivalry. After visiting Wudang Mountain and descending, he has greatly improved and also has the potential to become a pillar of the sword dao. Wu Liuding's desire to win is too strong, destined for him not to go as far as his female sword attendant, Cui Hua. Speaking of sabers, Yuan Zuozong will certainly reach the Celestial Phenomenon realm, sooner or later. As for Jiang Fuding, it's hard to say. His nature is too wicked, but because his martial path is the most similar to mine, if he's unlucky, he'll remain in the Finger Profound realm his entire life. If he's lucky, when I ascend, he might have a chance to directly enter the Land Immortal realm. The patriarch of the Wu Family Sword Tomb, Xu Yanbing of Beiliang, and those two from Lantuo Mountain and Guanyin Sect – their chances of reaching the peak and becoming the foremost under heaven are slim, but they all have the potential to become Land Immortals. The current Jianghu has too many variables; I dare not predict their ultimate achievements. However, at best, these individuals will only make it to the Top Ten Martial Artists, differing only in their ranking. But there are two individuals with especially great potential for change: Nangong Puye, who uses a saber in the Tide-Listening Pavilion, and Jiang Si, the exiled princess of Western Chu who has already 'comprehended the sword.' However, the latter will most likely be a flash in the pan."

Sui Xingu specifically noted a name. "Jiang Fuding?"

Wang Xianzhi calmly said, "Do you know my aspiration in martial arts?"

Sui Xingu gently furrowed his brow, causing the little girl to stumble as she was tugged by the long, snowy-white eyebrows. The Sword-Eating Old Patriarch turned and offered an apologetic smile, and the green-clad girl returned a smile, waving her hand to indicate it was fine.

Wang Xianzhi rested his fists on his legs. "Do you know that Li Chungang, you, Tuoba Pusa, Deng Tai'a, and Cao Changqing—your realms are not actually that far from mine. Why, if we were to fight to the death, would you certainly be defeated?"

Sui Xingu chuckled angrily, "Isn't it because you, old rascal, rely on your thick skin and tough flesh!"

The green-clad girl covered her mouth and chuckled.

Wang Xianzhi looked directly at Sui Xingu and asked, "Do you believe that if the few of you allied to fight me, I could still fight to the death and eliminate all of you?"

Sui Xingu narrowed his eyes.

Clearly, he didn't believe it.

But he had no choice but to believe it!

Wang Xianzhi stood up. The top floor of the pavilion had no walls or window frames blocking its east and west sides, allowing for a distant view of the East Sea to the east. Wang Xianzhi softly said, "After I, Wang Xianzhi, successfully ascended to the Land Immortal realm through martial arts, not the Heavenly Dao, I have always referred to myself as 'Second Under Heaven.' It's not because there's anyone in this world who could fight me to the death. The reason is that I yearn for the Jianghu where Li Chungang was unrivaled. At that time, I, Wang Xianzhi, looked up to that green-robed figure wielding a sword, utterly convinced. It was he who made me understand what 'a lone person's Jianghu' truly meant. It was Li Chungang who set me on this path I've walked for sixty years. If the Jianghu believes my 'Second' title is a mockery of everyone, I won't deny it. Let anyone who has the ability come and be the 'Foremost Under Heaven' they believe they truly are."

Sui Xingu quietly awaited further explanation. Wang Xianzhi smiled. "But more importantly, the enemy in my heart is the entire world."

Wang Xianzhi clenched his fists as the tides rose and fell over the East Sea. "So even if the nine people behind me on the martial arts list, plus all Grade One masters in the entire world, were to gather in the City of Martial Emperors, I, Wang Xianzhi, would not fear defeat; I would only win!"

Sui Xingu's eyebrows slipped from the child's hands, fluttering erratically. The green-clad girl hopped and skipped, trying to catch the two white eyebrows.

Wang Xianzhi unclenched his fists, stood with his hands behind his back, and the East Sea returned to calm. "As for Jiang Fuding, if he doesn't die in Beiliang, he will possess the spirit to stand against the entire Jianghu. Only with this can one awaken to the realization of being an enemy to the world. At that time, the Jianghu might become the domain of him and Nangong Puye, perhaps with the addition of Hong Jingyan, forming a tripartite balance. You, Sui Xingu, are fixated on swords. Cao Changqing is fixated on that woman who watched him play chess back then. You both have attachments in your hearts, which makes your path less easy than that of the heartless and unfeeling Jiang Fuding. Yet, these very attachments are precisely the foundation of your becoming top martial artists. What's more frustrating is that even if you could shed everything and start anew, you would still be unwilling to give up."

Sui Xingu scoffed, "Do you think everyone is a martial arts fanatic like you, living a life free of attachments? Gao Shulu merely intentionally allowed himself to go berserk to reach that legendary Celestial Immortal realm. Old Monster Wang, Old Monster Wang, you truly are a monster. I wonder why no Celestial Immortal has come down to take you away, or perhaps a few thousand bolts of heavenly lightning to strike you dead would do."

Wang Xianzhi simply smiled it off.

Celestial Immortals? Their dharma forms are nothing; even ordinary Land Immortals can slay them. They don't even register in Wang Xianzhi's eyes. Even if their true bodies descended to the mortal realm, they would still have to abide by Wang Xianzhi's rules.

Sui Xingu ran his fingertips over his brows and asked, "Then, who exactly will you fight in that final battle in the mortal realm?"

Wang Xianzhi countered, "From whom did you borrow that sword?"

Sui Xingu angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting?! Do you think I don't know the capabilities of that kid, Xu? He was able to kill Han Shengxuan thanks to my thousand-li sword control technique. If he had focused solely on the Jianghu, he might have reached my level, but he has to be the King of Beiliang. How could he, like you, Wang Xianzhi, single-mindedly devote himself to martial arts? Forget ten years, give him a hundred, and he still wouldn't be qualified to be your opponent for the final battle!"

Wang Xianzhi calmly said, "He repelled me a thousand Zhang with two punches."

Sui Xingu's eyes widened.

The green-clad girl also widened her eyes, an old man and a child, identical in their surprise.

Wang Xianzhi slowly said, "As long as he dares to step into the Land Immortal realm, I will immediately make him die."