The appearance of the brass sword, which had kept the Rakshasa Vajra at bay outside Mount Quanrong, finally caused a visible disturbance in his previously calm expression.

He took a cautious step back, his face heavy with apprehension.

As a Vajra who had participated in the assault on the capital and the royal family’s massacre five hundred years ago, his impression of this sword was profound.

The physical defense that Third-Rank martial artists took pride in was as fragile as a mortal’s before this blade.

Even the Vajra body, with defenses surpassing those of Third-Rank martial artists, dared not claim it could withstand this treasure’s peerless edge.

During that great upheaval of usurpation, the Rakshasa Vajra had witnessed a fellow disciple fall to a prince of the Great Feng Dynasty, who had struck dozens of times with this sword. His brother-in-arms had been covered in sword wounds, the sword energy corroding his internal organs until he perished.

That fellow disciple had been a genuine Vajra.

The scene of a single sword appearing in mid-air and forcing back the Rakshasa Vajra was interpreted differently by the three groups of onlookers.

“What sword is this? How could it frighten away a Vajra?”

“It’s not about the sword—it’s about Xu Yinluo’s arrival!”

“Indeed, the sword might be ordinary, but its wielder is Xu Yinluo. It must be him. The Vice Alliance Leader said Xu Yinluo would come to support our Martial Alliance.”

“He’s finally here…”

The spectators on South Peak didn’t recognize the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, nor did they believe a mere sword could intimidate the Rakshasa Vajra. What truly forced him back was the sword’s master.

And that master was Xu Yinluo, whom the Vice Alliance Leader had mentioned.

Xu Yinluo has finally arrived… Young Master Liu felt relief in his heart, the psychological shadow cast by that lightning pillar earlier somewhat dissipating.

He couldn’t help but glance at Miss Rong, finding her eyes sparkling and cheeks flushed—her maiden’s infatuation was obvious.

The female disciples of the Wanhua Palace beside her wore similar expressions, suddenly becoming excited.

“Master?”

Young Master Liu noticed his master’s solemn expression, his gaze fixed intently on the brass sword.

The middle-aged swordsman snapped out of his trance, saying somewhat puzzledly:

“That sword gives me a strange feeling. I can’t quite explain it… well, this is a swordsman’s self-cultivation.”

I don’t feel anything… Young Master Liu had a sudden realization:

“No wonder I had the same feeling.”

The middle-aged swordsman nodded approvingly: “Very good, it seems your recent cultivation has been diligent.”

This little brat, putting on such an act with me. I just thought that sword looked familiar as if I’d seen it somewhere before… the middle-aged swordsman grumbled internally.

Liu Hongmian, White Tiger, Qixian Danxiang, and the Jingxin Jingyuan brothers naturally didn’t recognize this weapon renowned throughout the Nine Provinces either. Their attention wasn’t on the brass sword at all.

They remained vigilant, looking left and right with cautious, solemn expressions because they knew that the Xu fellow had arrived.

He had finally come.

With his appearance, whatever reinforcements and trump cards he had would soon make their debut.

The Rain Master and Dunnan Vajra on the wind-riding boat would also fight with full force.

The real battle was about to begin.

Their previous exchanges had been mere foreplay.

Having suffered at his hands in the outskirts of Yong Province, they harbored extremely complicated feelings toward Xu Qian. They both yearned for his appearance to exact revenge, yet feared his arrival, dreading another defeat.

A sword… The Martial Alliance members represented by Cao Qingyang didn’t recognize the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, but seeing this brass sword could force the Rakshasa Vajra to retreat left them both shocked and curious.

“Xu Yinluo has arrived…” Xiao Yuenu pronounced each word distinctly.

Cao Qingyang grunted in acknowledgment, his tense expression relaxing slightly as he sighed:

“Even a Buddhist Vajra shows such wariness of Xu Yinluo.”

He interpreted the Rakshasa Vajra’s caution and backward step as the latter’s wariness of Xu Qian, believing he feared the master behind the brass sword.

Fu Jingmen and the others shared this view. They rejoiced in Xu Qian’s strength, which gave them confidence.

No one paid particular attention to the sword itself.

Yang Cuixue, the Master of the Mo Pavilion, stared at the brass sword for a while. Countless needle-like sharp lights reflected in his pupils before he suddenly covered his eyes with a muffled groan.

Blood seeped through his fingers.

“Pavilion Master Yang?!”

His companions were startled and hurried to check his condition.

Yang Cuixue covered his eyes, ignoring others’ concerns. He called out in a somewhat shrill voice:

“The Nation-Stabilizing Sword, it’s the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, this is the Nation-Stabilizing Sword!!”

His voice was high-pitched, his tone frenzied as he repeated the words over and over as if possessed.

The Mo Pavilion was a sect of sword cultivators whose members throughout generations loved to collect information about famous swords of the world and record them in books.

From the first generation founder until now, they have compiled three volumes of famous sword manuals: “Heaven,” “Earth,” and “Human.”

Any sword recorded in these three manuals had to meet three criteria:

First, it must be powerful, qualifying as a magical weapon; second, it must have an extraordinary story or historical significance; third, it must possess both the first and second qualities.

For three hundred years, the sword ranked first in the famous sword manual had never changed—it was the personal sword of the founding emperor of Great Feng: the Nation-Stabilizing Sword!

The famous sword manual recorded: Nation-Stabilizing Sword!

The personal sword of Great Feng’s founding emperor. According to historical records, this sword was forged from yellow copper from Cliff Mountain, with patterns like tortoise shells on its blade. Thus there was a legend that this sword was gifted to the founding emperor by the divine turtle of Sang Lake.

The Mo Pavilion’s ancestors had never seen the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, as it was usually sealed in the Eternal Mountain River Temple in the capital.

But as Great Feng’s national treasure, historical records contained rather detailed descriptions of it.

The Mo Pavilion’s famous sword manual excerpted these descriptions from historical documents.

Yang Cuixue could determine this was the Nation-Stabilizing Sword for several reasons. First, as a Fourth-Rank sword cultivator, he was very sensitive to sword energy and knew this was a divine weapon. Second, the yellow copper sword’s patterns were indeed like tortoise shells.

Finally, this sword’s forging technique differed from current methods. Yang Cuixue loved swords for his life and could vaguely recognize this as the sword-forging style most prevalent in early Great Feng.

This style and craft had been modeled after the Nation-Stabilizing Sword.

“The Nation-Stabilizing Sword?!”

Someone exclaimed in surprise, and the martial artists gathered around Yang Cuixue stared in astonishment.

“This sword is the founding emperor’s weapon.”

“It was used by the Northern Border King during the Shanhai Pass battle.”

Fu Jingmen and others swallowed hard, feeling a sense of pilgrimage in their hearts.

Yang Cuixue exclaimed excitedly:

“With the Nation-Stabilizing Sword revealed, what does the Martial Alliance have to fear from external enemies? Where this sword’s edge points, gods and demons flee. Xu Yinluo, he actually brought out the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, he really can wield it, the rumors were true.”

Xu Yinluo had brought out this legendary treasure to support the Martial Alliance!

The Nation-Stabilizing Sword?!

White Tiger, Qixian Danxiang, Jingxin, and Jingyuan silently exchanged glances, both shocked and overwhelmed. They never imagined that this brass sword deployed first on the battlefield would be the legendary Nation-Stabilizing Sword.

How could they not know of the Nation-Stabilizing Sword’s illustrious fame?

So this was Xu Qian’s trump card?

He had indeed come prepared.

“Oh? The Alliance Leader and others seem very excited?”

“Why are they all looking at that sword? Could this sword have something special about it?”

“Just now Pavilion Master Yang suddenly covered his face and wept…”

On South Peak, unable to hear the conversation, they could only make vague guesses based on Cao Qingyang and others’ actions.

The shadow beneath Sun Xuanji’s feet suddenly writhed, and a figure emerged to support his shoulder.

He didn’t turn around, lacking the strength to do so, his lips moving slightly:

“Still… a quarter hour…”

“I know, leave the rest to me. Where are your pills?”

While speaking, Xu Qian felt around Sun Xuanji’s waist, disappointed to find his storage treasure had been damaged in the earlier lightning strike and couldn’t be opened.

Fortunately, Lin’an prepared many healing medicines for me earlier, all premium pills refined by the Imperial Preceptor… Xu Qian took out his own stored medicine, crushed it, and put it in Sun Xuanji’s mouth.

The medicine’s effects were immediate, initially stabilizing Sun Xuanji’s injuries.

Xu Qian supported him with energy and delivered him to Cao Qingyang and others, saying:

“Take good care of him.”

Fu Jingmen strode forward to embrace the ordinary-looking Sun Xuanji, gazing at Xu Qian with burning eyes:

“Thank you for your trouble, Constable Xu.”

Xiao Yuenu stared at Xu Qian for a few moments, giving a restrained smile.

He had finally appeared.

Cheers erupted from South Peak.

“Xu Qian!”

White Tiger gnashed his teeth, remembering the pain of his severed arm.

Qixian Danxiang and others felt a mix of fear and hatred, with Jingyuan and Jingxin’s emotions running particularly high.

Since Lei Province, they had suffered repeatedly at Xu Qian’s hands, losing again and again.

This had nearly destroyed the confidence of these two outstanding young Buddhist talents.

In a quarter hour, we’ll have to fight to the death… Xu Qian grumbled internally. He had already secretly visited the Martial Alliance earlier and, as agreed, given the Nine-Colored Lotus Root to the old Alliance Leader.

The old Alliance Leader’s condition was extremely dire, his physical body on the verge of splitting apart and collapsing.

He needed to sleep to suppress the collapse.

Without the Nine-Colored Lotus Root’s help, he could last at most another month before dying.

The old Alliance Leader needed time to absorb the Nine-Colored Lotus Root and break through to Second-Rank Spiritual Unity realm martial artist.

According to the plan Xu Qian and Sun Xuanji had discussed, first, he would give Cao Qingyang a drop of essence blood to help him temporarily break through to Third Rank and contain the enemy. Because Xu Qian knew that Ji Xuan and the Buddhist Vajra, wary of him, would advance carefully and probe gradually.

During this process, Sun Xuanji would set up formations as the main force for the second round.

If this round could last long enough to delay until the old Alliance Leader emerged from seclusion, then Xu Qian could join forces with him to resist the enemy.

With a Second-Rank Spiritual Unity and Third-Rank martial artist working together, this battle would be as stable as an old dog.

Unfortunately, Nalan Tianlu played dirty, directly launching heavenly lightning to break Sun Xuanji’s mountain-protecting formation.

Xu Qian extended his right hand, and the Nation-Stabilizing Sword automatically flew back, delivering itself into his palm.

He then extended his left hand, and from the Earth Scripture fragment in his chest, the Great Peace Blade responded by delivering itself to his left palm.

Wielding blade and sword, he stood proudly in the field and taunted:

“Monkey, dare you fight me one-on-one?”

Monkey… The Rakshasa Vajra gave him a deep look and called out loudly:

“Dunnan, Rain Master Nalan, if not now, when?!”

As his voice fell, golden light once again descended from the sky, crashing onto the mountaintop with a “boom.” The newcomer was tall and imposing, with dark golden skin, and no facial hair or eyebrows, like a bronze statue.

Another Vajra!

There’s another one?!

The Martial Alliance members were stunned, all turning to look at Cao Qingyang, finding their Alliance Leader’s expression identical to theirs.

He too seemed not to have anticipated there would be two Vajras.

“Two Vajras, plus the Shamanic Religion’s Rain Master…”

Qiao Weng said bitterly: “Alliance Leader, you, you…”

He couldn’t continue speaking.

Others also wore bitter expressions. Had they known the enemy was of this scale, most likely they wouldn’t have had the courage to come to the back mountain.

Third-Rank was already an invincible existence rarely seen in the jianghu in a hundred years, and now three had appeared at once, with a Second-Rank Rain Master backing them.

Cao Qingyang truly didn’t know. Sun Xuanji had concealed this from him, only mentioning Buddhist Vajra and Shamanic Religion enemies.

Sun Xuanji had also feared the Alliance Leader would be scared witless and flee with his sister-in-law, abandoning this mess entirely.

Fu Jingmen’s mouth twitched:

“How can Constable Xu fight this? One person fighting two Vajras might have hope, but what about the Rain Master?”

Dai Zong’s face turned pale as he lost his fighting spirit and confidence, saying softly:

“We… we should retreat first, preserving the Martial Alliance’s spark is most important…”

Xiao Yuenu gave him a sideways glance, “If you fear death, then leave.”

Dai Zong opened his mouth but choked on his words.

As they spoke, a woman wearing silk robes with her hair done up high, charming and alluring, walked step by step through the void.

Above her head loomed a layer of dark clouds, roiling endlessly, with lightning occasionally flickering within the thick clouds, ready to strike.

She seemed like the sovereign of this heaven and earth, commanding wind, rain, thunder, and lightning at will.

So this is the Shamanic Religion’s Rain Master? Cao Qingyang and others took one look and felt their adrenaline surge, hearts racing, breathing difficult.

They couldn’t directly gaze at a powerhouse of this realm.

Why isn’t this warrior monk taking the bait? Shouldn’t warrior monks be as crude as martial artists? I guess Yang Qianxian should handle the taunting… Xu Qian gripped the blade and sword in his hands tightly and shouted:

“All of you retreat, retreat as far as possible, the back mountain can’t be held anymore.”

The back mountain can’t be held anymore… Cao Qingyang and others’ hearts pounded wildly as they retreated without another word.

“Alliance Leader, let’s go to South Peak. It’s far enough that we won’t be affected unless they specifically target us,” suggested Dai Zong, carrying Sun Xuanji on his shoulder.

Cao Qingyang pondered briefly, grunted in agreement, and despite his serious injuries, moved at a speed not much slower than the others.

Dong Fang Wanrong completely released control of her body, letting her teacher take over as master of the vessel.

She made a hand seal with one hand and suddenly pointed toward the sky.

“Boom!”

The clouds that had been gathering immediately struck down with a lightning bolt as thick as a water tank, engulfing Xu Qian.

The blue-white lightning bolt was massive, visible even dozens of li away.

“Hum!”

A golden light rose above Xu Qian’s head as the Pagoda Treasure raised a faint golden barrier, blocking the lightning power outside.

Thump thump thump… Dunnan Vajra charged at full speed crashed into the Pagoda Treasure’s barrier and landed a punch squarely on Xu Qian’s chest.

Bang!

Vajra Divine Art clashed against Vajra Divine Art, the sound waves resonating like a giant temple bell.

Xu Qian flew backward like a cannonball, smashing through countless trees and collapsing part of the mountain, causing an avalanche of rolling rocks.

He rolled to dissipate the force, having been knocked clear of the mountaintop, and stabilized himself in mid-air.

Suddenly, in his mind flashed an image of the Rakshasa Vajra appearing above his head, both fists clasped together, hammering down toward his skull… Xu Qian’s body moved at a speed that defied the laws of physics, dodging to the side while twisting his waist to turn around, driving his right arm to slash with the Nation-Stabilizing Sword.

At this moment, Dong Fang Wanrong in the sky extended her right arm, targeting Xu Qian.

Curse-Killing Art!

Xu Qian’s sword-swinging motion faltered, as if struck by an invisible injury, blood flowing from his seven apertures.

The Rakshasa Vajra’s crushing punch came down.

Xu Qian once again became a human cannonball, hammered back with a thunderous “boom,” his entire body embedded into the mountain as Mount Quanrong’s main peak shuddered violently.