Chapter 167: The Sword Is His Fate
Upon hearing Madam Mu’s words, an eerie silence fell over the viewing platform.
Chen Changsheng’s combined sword technique was none other than the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation!
But if it was a sword formation, how could it be wielded by just one person?
What was going on here?
Madam Mu’s exclamation left many bewildered.
They simply couldn’t grasp it, or rather, their minds couldn’t wrap around the concept.
The chieftain of the Xiang tribe had already cultivated to the half-step Divine realm, making him the strongest cultivator present aside from Madam Mu. Thus, he quickly understood the meaning behind her words.
His expression turned exceptionally grave, and as he looked at Chen Changsheng, his gaze held not only the earlier wariness but also a newfound reverence.
A sword formation, by definition, required many swords to compose it; it couldn’t be just one person.
The Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation was renowned across the world, and there was nothing different about it—though two Nanxi Zhai disciples could use the combined sword technique to face enemies and unleash some of the formation’s power, the true might of the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation required at least several dozen disciples to form it.
Even the most insane person wouldn’t dare imagine that one day the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation would appear in the hands of a single individual. As Madam Mu had just said, even the first Saintess, who founded the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation with her astonishing talent, could never have foreseen such a scene in the future.
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Why was Chen Changsheng able to achieve all this?
Because his spiritual sense was immensely powerful and serene, like the waters of a deep gorge—unbreakable, never drying up.
He possessed countless famous swords, all of which were already attuned to his will, moving as easily as his own fingers.
He knew countless sword techniques, and with the slightest shift of his mind, sword moves from various sects and schools would come flooding in.
That was why, back in the Zhou Garden, he could use a single strand of spiritual sense to drive ten thousand swords into a dragon formation.
Later, he learned to split his spiritual sense into hundreds of strands to control hundreds of swords, using this to storm the Northern Military Command’s alley.
But if that were all, it would still be far from enough to manifest the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation through him alone.
Using hundreds of strands of spiritual sense to control hundreds of swords was merely an increase in quantity; there was no coordination between the swords, each fighting on its own.
The Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation was far too complex, and its power relied on the mutual cooperation of the sword formation disciples to truly shine.
The reason Chen Changsheng could solve this problem was due to a turning point.
Or perhaps it was fate, or destiny, or simply his lot in life.
From the moment Old Master Tang gave him that yellow paper umbrella, his fate had been inseparable from the sword.
Whether it was discovering the Sword Pool in the Zhou Garden or learning swordsmanship from Su Li on the wasteland, it was all the same.
A few days ago, when he encountered Xiao Zhang in Fengyang County and learned of the changes on Saintess Peak, he worried for Xu Yourong’s safety and charged straight to the highest point.
At that time, Xu Yourong was on the other side of the stone wall. He sat on the cliff’s edge, watching the setting sun over the Tong River, feeling bored, and picked up a book to read.
Thus, he learned the combined sword technique.
The next day, he and Xu Yourong performed a dual-sword fusion, stunning the world.
Afterward, he went to Li Mountain, struggling through that sword path, and his sword cultivation grew once more.
Then he rode a crane away, on a long journey of eighty thousand li. Bored, he let his mind wander and suddenly thought of a possibility.
Since the combined sword technique was the foundation of the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation, and since he and Xu Yourong could perform a dual-sword fusion, could his own swords coordinate with each other?
As the white crane bathed in starlight and pierced through the night clouds, he pondered these questions.
He thought about it for an entire night, then encountered some events and tested his swords several times.
Finally, he understood.
From that moment on, the myriad swords gained order; every sword had its own position, and connections formed between them.
The positions were relative, the connections bidirectional. Sword intent merged, sword momentum mutually defended, endlessly cycling, forming a sword technique of its own.
Thus, the sword formation was complete.
How powerful was the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation?
A few days ago, at the Unification Ceremony, a Divine realm expert like Wujiong Bi, facing a hastily formed sword formation of several dozen Nanxi Zhai disciples, was utterly helpless.
If not for Huaibi’s treacherous intervention, Xu Yourong might not have been forced to emerge from seclusion.
Even Zhou Duofu, back when he stormed Saintess Peak, expended much effort and wisdom to break through the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation.
In a sense, Chen Changsheng alone now was a Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation.
No wonder even the Demon Lord had fallen to his sword.
“Your Holiness the Pope is truly an unparalleled sword genius,” Madam Mu said.
As she spoke, her expression was calm, but her heart was not.
What Chen Changsheng had accomplished was so extraordinary that even she felt a surge of awe, followed by heightened vigilance.
Thinking back to her earlier firm stance against Chen Changsheng during discussions with His Majesty, she felt a twinge of regret.
Chen Changsheng said, “I’ve only grasped its form, not yet its spirit.”
This wasn’t modesty; it was the truth.
Madam Mu replied calmly, “That’s as it should be. Otherwise, wouldn’t Your Holiness be able to kill even me?”
The meaning of this statement was complex.
“Able to kill” meant having the power to do so, but also the intent.
Chen Changsheng felt Luoluo gently tugging at his clothes from behind. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Why did the Demon Lord appear in White Emperor City?”
He didn’t follow Madam Mu’s lead but posed his own question.
This question was also complex in meaning and very difficult to answer.
Because it was asking something he already knew.
Hundreds of swords still hung silently in the air, aimed at Madam Mu in alignment with Chen Changsheng’s gaze.
The mist among the flower trees and stone walls of the imperial city hadn’t dissipated either, ready at any moment to condense into white clouds and devour everything.
People stared into each other’s eyes, as if trying to see weakness within. The atmosphere on the viewing platform grew even more tense and oppressive.
Madam Mu didn’t answer Chen Changsheng’s question. This was a very clever choice, and more importantly, she had a way to stop him from pressing further.
She looked at Chen Changsheng and said, “You should be more concerned about another matter now.”
White Emperor City was preparing to abandon its alliance with the human race and form an alliance with the demon race. What could be more important than that?
Through his clothes, Chen Changsheng felt Luoluo’s small hand was cold, which weighed on his heart. He said nothing.
Madam Mu continued, “It’s a pity you came too late after all.”
The divine staff radiated brilliant light, the white crane broke through the clouds and descended. He had used the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation to defeat the Demon Lord and drive him away. Luoluo wouldn’t have to marry. Even if the demon race still wanted to ally with the demon race, the situation was at least temporarily under control. The human race had gained a breather. How was he too late?
Madam Mu said, “A few days ago, Bieyang Hong and Wujiong Bi encountered a demon race strongman ambush deep in the mountains and were severely injured. For some unknown reason, they refused my treatment and have since disappeared. I imagine they’ve already returned to the sea of stars by now. Your Holiness missed the chance to see them off one last time. What a pity.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng was stunned.
He turned to look at Luoluo.
Luoluo lowered her head.