The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 390 Sword Twelve, Man Slayer! The Man Behind Xiong Ba
The wind has died down and the rain has stopped.

The cold frost had long since melted away, and the lake remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

Without realizing it, Su Ming opened his eyes. His clear eyes were black and white, and his aura had returned to calm. As soon as he opened his eyes, he realized that something was wrong. It seemed that he had just made a move.

What happened?

He reached out and grabbed, a wisp of icy, chilling energy condensing in his palm.

"This aura is icy and dark; it's not from an ordinary person."

Su Ming casually tossed it onto the lake. In an instant, the lake surface, which was about ten feet in diameter, was frozen. However, this force was like a rootless duckweed, and the lake surface returned to normal in no time.

Seeing this scene, he recalled that when he was comprehending the Dao before, it seemed that someone had come.

But what about people?
He left behind a wisp of life force and escaped?

He shook his head, no longer seeking answers. Whether they came or went, he was not afraid.

The sound of a bell in his mind plunged him into an unprecedented state of enlightenment. He had mastered all the sword techniques he had learned in the two previous worlds. The Quanzhen Sword Technique, the Jingzhe Sword Technique he created himself, the Piaomiao Sword Technique, the Holy Spirit Sword Technique of the Sword Saint, and many other miscellaneous sword techniques were all fused together into one.

Forgetfulness, ruthlessness, extreme passion.

Of these three realms, only forgetting emotions suits him. He cannot be ruthless and obsessive about the sword, nor can he indulge in romantic love like Lang Fanyun, who, because of the death of his beloved woman, thoroughly understood the way of the sword with emotions and reached the realm of "because he can be extremely emotional, he can be extremely skilled in the sword."

His foundation has always been the Nether Sea Returning to Origin Force, the first martial art he learned and the foundation he has now. This skill has the wonder of following the natural way and the unity of heaven and man. To this day, he has mastered this skill and achieved the highest level of Myriad Transformations and Nether Harmony, often in a state of communion between heaven and man and the natural state of all things.

If it weren't for his solid body and strong foundation, he would have long ago refined himself into a single energy and merged into the heavens and earth.

The highest form of enlightenment is to forget emotions, let things take their natural course, act from the heart and stop at the heart's desire. This aligns well with his temperament and complements the way of cultivating Qi. Forgetting emotions is not about being heartless, nor is it about being extremely emotional; it is about attaining and then forgetting.

Cultivating the mind and refining one's qi leads to stillness, while swordsmanship and killing represent movement. The superior way is to govern yin and yang with a state of detachment from worldly desires.

He looked down and saw that the sword mark on his body had long since disappeared. He couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, "I haven't even used up the gift from Quezhou yet. His foundation in martial arts over a thousand years is truly extraordinary."

The sound of that bell, besides conveying the great wisdom of "following the great wisdom and saving the world with great compassion," could not be achieved by Zhou. He couldn't think of anyone else who could leave such traces silently in his mind.

"If I go to Jinguang in the next world, I will definitely thank Mr. Quezhou in person."

With a firm resolve, a sword image appeared in his mind. This sword was not Sword Eleven, but Sword Twelve—the one that would slay a man!

The gift of Quezhou, combined with the fusion of many sword techniques, finally resulted in the creation of this move, Sword Twelve.

Unlike Ren Piaomiao's Twelve Swords, his Twelve Swords originated from within. The extremely sharp sword energy was indestructible, but when it circulated within his body, it would cause his meridians to feel as if they were being stabbed or cut by swords. Especially when it passed through the delicate internal organs and meridians, it was enough to sever the internal organs and cause serious internal injuries.

Extremes beget their opposites; extreme sharpness can not only most effectively harm the enemy, but it can also harm oneself.

The meridians of the human body are not only where vital energy flows, but also the foundation of life and the vitality of flesh and blood. This kind of sharp and aggressive vital energy is enough to destroy one's own vitality and shorten one's lifespan.

This is why Ren Piaomiao was forced into a wheelchair after using his sword technique "Twelve Swords in One Move".

That move was too powerful; his body simply couldn't withstand it.

Su Ming's Sword Twelve avoided this situation in advance. He controlled the tangible sword with intangible thoughts. The sword energy neither lost its sharpness nor harmed himself. It was just like a sharp sword returning to its sheath. In normal times, its sharpness was concealed and there was no danger. When used, the sword was drawn and its sharpness suddenly appeared, revealing its killing intent.

It can be hidden within all the energy, drawn out but not released, merging with heaven and earth, omnipresent, and is the killing intent released by heaven and earth.

Heaven and earth are impartial and selfless, therefore they can encompass all things.

This sword strike not only kills the body but also the spirit; it kills both the body and the person, hence its name, "Human Slayer."

The Ice Emperor was merely affected by the aftershocks of this sword's enlightenment, which resulted in the severing of his divine will and the obliteration of his body.

Su Ming stood up, still dressed in his green robe. In an instant, the energy of heaven and earth converged from all directions, like ten thousand streams flowing into the sea, rushing towards that figure, like wisps of tangible breeze.

His clothes, which had been damaged in the battle with the Sword Saint and Nameless, were restored to their original condition as if they were brand new.

He continued forward, passing through the forests where the battle had taken place. As he passed, the trees that had long been cut down seemed to be infected by an invisible force, sprouting new buds and bursting forth with greenery. The once barren ground was transformed into a verdant haven in just a dozen breaths, and flowers began to bloom.

The tree stump regained its vitality, sprouted new buds, and by the end of the year, it would be a beautiful tree again.

The moment Su Ming stood up, a dazzling and magnificent aura suddenly appeared in the sky, with terrifying energy flowing within it. As soon as it appeared, the energy surged and expanded, shooting straight into the sky. From a distance, it looked like a giant sword standing between heaven and earth, majestically suppressing the world.

……

On the shore of the East China Sea.

The Sword Saint sat upright on the bow of the ship with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, looked up at the sky, and his gaze froze for a moment. Then, his gray hair flew up and he burst into laughter.

With his level of cultivation, he could clearly sense how powerful the brewing sword intent was.

The fact that his opponent could make such progress in just over ten days shocked him and made him determined not to admit defeat. He, the Sword Saint, was no less than anyone else in his life!

“Good, good. His swordsmanship has improved again. I can’t let a junior surpass me.”

……

The nameless man, now back at the Zhonghua Pavilion, was paying his respects at his wife's grave.

A stone tablet stands before a small mound of earth. He stands before the grave, the sound of his erhu just beginning to play, then abruptly stopping. The sorrow and vicissitudes in his eyes have faded considerably. "His swordsmanship is even faster than I imagined!"

After speaking, his gaze returned to the grave, filled with sorrow, but upon closer inspection, it also revealed a resolute determination.

Clearly, this time, he had not only returned to pay respects to his wife. Upon learning who his enemy was, he hesitated, but he would not let it go.

Even though that person was his senior brother and his master's only son.

The hatred for killing one's wife is irreconcilable.

Nameless was never a kind soul; his sword was capable of killing!

In the desert.

A burly figure moved forward in the sea of ​​sand. This person wore a straw hat, had an unusually large frame, and was dressed in gray clothes. He did not look remarkable, but the sand around him seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, spreading out like ripples, and the sea of ​​sand surged. The person slightly lifted his straw hat, and on his rough chin, there were already vertical mustaches that looked like steel needles.

Suddenly, he raised his head and looked towards the Central Plains, his mustache slightly raised, and his eyes revealed excitement, "The Central Plains has gained another fine sword!"

……

Unlike the sword intent that Su Ming unleashed with his Eleventh Sword Technique, this sword strike was purer and more powerful, and even the top martial artists of the era could sense it.

The world will meet.

Inside the No. 1 Pavilion under Heaven, Xiong Ba sat on his throne, his eyes slightly gloomy. The sudden appearance of the sword intent had made him feel terrified. He had once met the Sword Saint of Wushuang City, but the latter had not put him under such pressure.

He frowned and muttered to himself, "Just who is this person?"

……

"That sword intent...it belongs to that person!"

The man on the ice had a gloomy look in his eyes. Thinking of the surging sword intent just now, he was filled with doubt and apprehension. Such a method was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Looking at the entire martial arts world, there were probably only a handful of people who could recognize such a profound technique, and he happened to be one of them.

The Tianshan Mountains are perpetually covered in snow and wind, making them a truly desolate place.

A figure emerged from the Heavenly Alliance, soaring hundreds of feet into the sky. The snow-capped mountains and steep cliffs beneath his feet seemed like mere ravines and mounds, floating erratically, as if he were a terrestrial immortal.

Perhaps to the world he truly is a god. A person who has lived for a thousand years has long since broken free from the shackles of mortal life and transcended life and death. How could he not be a god?

In just a few breaths, after reaching a certain peak, he suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on a certain direction on the land of China, the direction from which the sword intent appeared.

Previously, he had sent the Ice Emperor to investigate, hoping to take the sword for himself, but now it seems that it is definitely not going to work, and the Ice Emperor's fate is self-evident.

Such powerful individuals, with their transcendent nature, how could they willingly submit?
But if a fight were to break out, and another Wu Wudi appeared, it would be fatal. The wounds Wu Wudi inflicted on him back then haven't fully healed yet. It's not worth facing this swordsman again.

"Hmph, let you be smug for a while. After I slay the dragon, no one in the world will be my match. Then I'll settle accounts with you, and that martial arts fanatic too!"

His icy voice echoed through the wind and snow. Then, his eyes narrowed, and wherever his gaze fell, the wind and snow were frozen into ice, which then scattered into ice powder. The coldness was even more intense than the wind and snow, and it was terrifying to the extreme.

His icy, intimidating gaze suddenly snapped away, and then a series of pounding heartbeats, like drums, emanated from his chest, growing louder and louder, from barely audible to a thunderous thud, all within just a few breaths.

Upon hearing this sound, some creatures that had adapted to this environment on the Tianshan Mountains, such as snow wolves and other wild beasts, seemed to be infected by it. They all fled in panic, but before they had run far, the hearts in their bellies began to pound. The sound and the intervals between the rising and falling beats became increasingly closer.

After only a dozen or so violent throbbing episodes, blood and foam, mixed with fragments of internal organs, began to overflow from their mouths and noses. Unable to withstand such terrifying throbbing, they died on the spot.

……

"The world has gained another powerful figure. What should our World Alliance do now?"

On the top floor of the No. 1 Building in the world, Xiong Ba, dressed in a purple and gold robe, with deep brows and cold eyes, exuded an aura of dominance. But today, there was another person on this floor besides him.

It was an old man, an old man in purple robes, so old that he was no longer human. Although he was tall and strong with broad shoulders, his face beneath his white hair was covered with a dense network of wrinkles, deep and furrowed.

Upon closer inspection, his face bears a striking resemblance to that of Xiong Ba.

His purple robes were incredibly magnificent, both in terms of material and craftsmanship, but unfortunately he only had one right hand, with his empty left sleeve fluttering in the wind.

"Are you worried?" His voice was incredibly old, hoarse, and grating.

In front of this old man, Xiong Ba's domineering aura subsided considerably, and his voice was full of worry, "Wushuang City is already troublesome enough. Having a Sword Saint is already giving me a headache. If another swordsman like this comes along, I don't know when the World Society will be able to unify the world."

This old man used to have a resounding name, the Purple-Clad Boss. He was also Xiong Ba's father, the secret pillar of the World Society, and the man behind Xiong Ba.

The old man grinned, revealing a few missing teeth that were crooked and uneven. "This man's swordsmanship is comparable to that of a sword saint. If he were to become your enemy, it would indeed be troublesome. However, in this world, killing doesn't necessarily require martial arts. Moreover, such a person may have his own desires. If we can help him, he might become an asset to us."

"Remember, you must be tolerant of others. There are many people in this world who are more capable than you and me, but none of them have established such a vast foundation as the World Society. Strength is only one aspect. You own the World Society, so there is no need to belittle yourself."

As he spoke, the leader in purple forced a smile, but that smile was like a snake that would devour people without spitting out the bones—gloomy and somewhat discordant.

For some reason, a dark thread reappeared in his mind. It was that thread that had caused him to lose his arm and nearly die years ago.

After hearing this, Xiong Ba didn't say much, still pondering.

Seeing this, his withered cheeks twitched slightly. "How's your Three-Part Return to Origin Qi cultivation coming along?"

Xiong Ba sighed, his brow furrowing even more deeply. "It's still a ways off. It will take several more years to reach full maturity. I wonder when Feng Yun will finally grow up."

As he spoke, he tentatively asked, "The Returning Origin Blood Hand, you really can't teach me?"

The leader in purple robes refused as before, saying, "This skill is too contrary to the laws of nature. You are the leader of the World Society, and you cannot be associated with my former identity, nor can you have any connection with me. Once you master the Three Ultimate Skills, you will be a top-ranked master in the martial arts world. Why would you covet my martial arts?"

Xiong Ba was not surprised; his face darkened further. "Time waits for no one. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling that something terrible is going to happen in the future. I must prepare for the worst!"

The leader in purple narrowed his eyes, his deeply lined face expressionless. "Your destiny and fortune are rare in this world, and you are at the peak of your life. There are few people in this world who can kill you, and they will not risk the backlash of your fortune to do such a thing."

"Focus on cultivating the Three Perfections. Put aside your swordsmanship for now. There are too many sword masters in this world. Being distracted by swordsmanship will not do you any good!"

Hearing the old man's tone become more serious, Xiong Ba narrowed his eyes. "Alright, you're right. I shouldn't have been distracted."

Before long, only Xiong Ba remained. He stood in front of the railing, gazing at the foot of the mountain with an uncertain look in his eyes. Then, he flicked his sleeve and left.

Behind him, a deep fingerprint had appeared on the railing.

(End of this chapter)