153: Chapter 153 The Decree for Rewarding Good and Punishing Evil!

"The Marshal of the Unruly... could absolutely never block a single move from either of them."

Shi Yao's pupils trembled violently, her voice shaking slightly.

Not far away, Fanyin Heaven and another woman heard these words, their gazes still fixed on the sword scar piercing through the clouds.

A thought surfaced in both of their minds at the same time:

Even the Empress they revered could not reach such a Realm.

This was no longer something mundane martial arts could achieve.

How could such a figure suddenly appear in the world?

Within the battlefield, everyone was awestruck by Su Rui's sword strike.

Within the Demonic Cult's ranks, a wave of commotion instantly broke out.

If the expert from the Snow Moon City martial arts hall had previously only existed in rumors, the unsheathing of this sword was like frost covering their hearts, making everyone in the Demonic Cult feel as if the world had lost its color.

With such a person appearing, no matter how many people there were, it would be futile.

That Sword Intent which split the heavens would only need to fall two or three more times, and the Demonic Cult's tens of thousands of troops would likely be reduced to ashes, with not a single piece of armor remaining.

And those top-tier experts who usually looked down on the world also understood in their hearts—under such sword might, they were no different from ordinary soldiers.

Everyone's eyes couldn't help but turn toward the mysterious powerhouse who seemed to be standing on their side.

After all, when that person first appeared, his Aura was also extraordinary.

However, the expressions of Tyrant, Invincible East, and various core figures of the Demonic Cult grew increasingly gloomy.

For an existence at this level, their life-preserving abilities could be called mystical; even if they fought someone in the same Realm in a life-and-death struggle, it would be hard to determine a victor.

What truly unsettled them was: just how many such powerhouses were there?

They had originally thought they stood at the peak of the Martial Forest, looking down on all living beings; now it seemed they were merely frogs at the bottom of a well, never having glimpsed the true light of heaven.

"Great Dragon Head... have you ever heard of this person, 'Di Shitian'?"

Invincible East finally spoke, his voice low.

Young Master Yu was slightly stunned upon hearing this and gave the other a deep look.

This person could actually see through his identity?

Seeing that the other's cultivation was equal to his own, he no longer hid it and only slowly shook his head: "The Azure Dragon Society's influence spans the Jianghu, with countless eyes and ears inside and outside the imperial court, and lines planted in all Schools, large and small."

"Yet, there hasn't been the slightest rumor regarding this person."

This was indeed the truth, and it was also the source of his inner worry.

For many years, the Azure Dragon Society had been deeply rooted in the Great Ming Jianghu, its intelligence network as dense as a web; whether they were high-ranking court officials or eccentric recluses, few escaped their investigation.

He had once prided himself on knowing everything, but after today's sword strike, that confidence was shaken.

Tyrant stood silently, his expression grave.

Suddenly, he remembered seeing an Incomplete Manual in his Sect's secret records when he was young and learning the arts.

It recorded a catastrophe from hundreds of years ago, dictated by a surviving low-level Martial Artist.

Among the records, this name was prominently mentioned—Di Shitian.

But that was hundreds of years ago... could this person truly have lived until today?

Or perhaps, the martial arts hall owner was also like this, an ancient existence that had been dormant for many years?

Otherwise, how would he dare to step forward and face such peerless Sword Intent? He must have absolute certainty.

Of course, the descriptions in those records might not be reliable; perhaps they were just fabricated by later generations.

Tyrant thought to himself.

Just then, several figures quietly descended.

A man in clothes as white as snow with slightly graying temples came riding the wind; it was precisely the Lord of White Cloud City, Ye Gucheng.

This time, he had come north to the lands of Northern Li by the order of the Great Ming Emperor, originally having no intention of participating in the conflict.

But hearing that Northern Li was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, crowded with experts, it had piqued his yearning for the pinnacle of the Dao of the sword.

Witnessing that sword light piercing the sky now, he felt the blood in his chest surging.

Even if he were to perish under that sword, for someone obsessed with the Dao of the sword, it would still be a form of Perfection.

Not far away, the Third Young Master of the Famous Sword Villa, Xie Xiaofeng, arrived side-by-side with a man in black; their Killing Intent was like blades, almost visible to the naked eye.

"Yan Shisan, what do you think of this sword strike?"

Xie Xiaofeng stopped to gaze at the remaining sword scar and turned to ask.

"Extremely strong." Yan Shisan spat out two words, his gaze never wavering.

After a moment, he slowly continued: "Unless I push the Deadly Thirteen Swords to the fifteenth style, I will have absolutely no power to contend with it."

Xie Xiaofeng's heart jolted.

The sword technique Yan Shisan practiced had already reached the fourteenth style; the two had sparred before, and that style already contained the intent to sever life and annihilate all things.

With Xie Xiaofeng's vision, he could naturally imagine how shocking a fifteenth style would be if it truly existed.

A fat old man wearing a coarse cloth short-sleeved shirt stood dazed on the spot, looking at the crack in the sky, his expression changing abruptly.

It was precisely Zhang Sanfeng, who had secretly slipped down from Wudang Sect.

To avoid revealing his identity, he had deliberately disguised himself just to see that world-shaking sword strike with his own eyes.

And not far from him stood a thin old man holding a wooden sword, his expression solemn.

Feng Qingyang looked up at the residual mark in the sky and murmured, "Incredible... this is no longer a sword of the mortal world."

He looked down at the wooden sword in his hand; suddenly, his wrist shook slightly, and the wooden sword shattered inch by inch.

He then turned and left without staying a moment longer.

If there were even a sliver of hope of catching up, he might have been willing to stay and meditate on it.

But this sword strike was too transcendent, far beyond common logic.

Based on his understanding of the Dao of the sword, he already knew—he would likely never reach such heights in this lifetime.

Shattering his sword and returning to the mountain, he would enter secluded cultivation at the summit of Mount Hua!

"Grandpa, this person is way too strong!"

A lively and clever young girl widened her eyes, her face full of excitement and wonder.

"More than just strong? This can no longer be described as 'powerful'."

The old man leaning on a tobacco pipe looked at the sword light tearing through the sea of clouds, his expression complex and his tone carrying a hint of bitterness.

This time, they had truly stumbled upon something major.

Previously, he could still brag about holding the secret of the number one spot on the Weapons Manual, but now it seemed like nothing more than self-humiliation.

This Jianghu was no longer the Jianghu they were familiar with.

For a life-cherishing old man like him, he felt that being able to retreat safely behind the crowd was the only proper thing to do.

The whispers of the grandfather and granddaughter caught the attention of a tall and short pair nearby.

The tall, thin figure casually threw over a token, his tone calm: "Old man, keep this token for now."

"If you truly want to catch up to the owner of that sword strike just now, go to Sangyu City by the East Sea on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month; an Opportunity will naturally reveal itself."

Sun Baifa reached out to catch it and looked down—the token was peculiar, with "Reward Good" carved on one side and "Punish Evil" on the other.

The Reward and Punishment Token!

His heart jolted.

This item had caused many famous experts to mysteriously disappear in earlier years; rumors were constant, but he had never seen it with his own eyes.

Today, it had actually fallen into his hands.

However, the other party said it could surpass the owner of that world-shaking sword scar... Sun Baifa shook his head inwardly, truly unable to believe it.

Sun Little Red, however, blinked her eyes, her mind racing as she wondered what scheme she was cooking up now.

Not far away, another pair of old and young stopped to look up.

The young girl glanced over here frequently, her gaze finally landing on Sun Little Red, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes.

It was precisely the Lord of Peach Blossom Island, Pharmacist Huang, accompanying his granddaughter Guo Xiang.

"This trip wasn't in vain; such a figure must be met at all costs!"

After hearing her grandfather's words, Guo Xiang took another quiet look at Sun Little Red and then spoke: "Grandfather, right now the Yuan Army is pressing the borders, and my parents are guarding Xiangyang, unable to find peace day or night."

"Can we invite this person with god-like swordsmanship to help us?"

Pharmacist Huang sighed lightly: "Invite? With what? What do you have that he would value?"

Speaking of that son-in-law, he got angry.

His martial arts were no weaker than his own, yet he acted recklessly, holding no official position but loving to meddle in national wars, purely looking for trouble for himself.

If not for that, with Guo Jing and Huang Rong's status, plus himself, Pharmacist Huang, the three of them joining forces to roam the Jianghu freely would be so satisfying.

But right now, he couldn't be bothered to worry about such things.

Taking his most beloved granddaughter out to relax, he had heard that a great war was about to start here in Northern Li and that heroes were gathering, so on a whim, he had hurried over to watch the spectacle.

He hadn't expected to encounter such a world-shaking sword strike.

Pharmacist Huang had always been conceited; his skills in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, palm techniques, and swordsmanship had all reached the pinnacle, and he had always looked down on everyone else.

But at this moment, that arrogance was forcefully suppressed.

From all directions, there were experts.

And in the center of the battlefield, everyone could no longer care about the various discussions of the onlookers.

They saw the clouds split by Su Rui slowly closing back together.

Hidden above the clouds, Di Shitian's expression was solemn.

That sword strike just now was clearly aimed at his physical body!

He had been forced to activate the Seven Nothings Absolute State again to barely block it.

Clearly, this technique of hiding within the mist was like nothing in that person's eyes.

But the arrogance cultivated over a thousand years made him instinctively wave the clouds, attempting to seal that sword scar as if to maintain some sort of dignity.

But Di Shitian knew in his heart—in terms of the Dao of the sword, he was far from being an opponent.

The power of that sword strike far exceeded his estimates.

If he were truly hit head-on, he would likely be severely wounded on the spot.

Therefore, he did not dare to approach easily.

Although most of the Cultivation Techniques he practiced were focused on close combat, he was not without other means.

Just as the clouds closed, Su Rui frowned, and the long sword in his hand rose again.

Two fierce sword lights crossed each other, and a giant cross-shaped gap split open in the sky once more.

The face that had just condensed hadn't even made a sound before it was sliced into four pieces and collapsed with a bang.

These two sword strikes were even more powerful than the previous casual slash.

Wherever the sword's edge passed, the cloud waves surged, retreating to both sides as if hacked by a giant axe.

Before everyone could recover their senses, the clouds quietly healed again.

"Boy, this trick is useless against me."

"I originally thought you had also lived for several thousand years and were an old monster of the same level, but I didn't expect you to be a mere Junior."

"You must have had an astounding Opportunity; otherwise, how could you have reached such a Realm at such an age?"

Di Shitian's voice rolled down, echoing throughout the venue.

His words sounded like praise, but in reality, they hid a provocative intent, aimed at making people covet Su Rui's secrets.

Su Rui gave a cold laugh, his voice also spreading in all directions: "Di Shitian, do you think I care about that? Your Sacred Heart Art is indeed not bad; I plan to make it public in the future."

"You dare!"

A roar exploded across the heavens.

The Sacred Heart Art—that was a secret method he had spent countless efforts to create; how could he allow someone to leak it at will?

The entire audience was in an uproar.

Everyone was stunned.

Even Disciples of the Heaven Gate, without significant merit, how could they possibly be taught even half a move by him?

Once Su Rui leaked the Sacred Heart Art, most of what he had learned in his life would likely be exposed before everyone's eyes.

"Ten Thousand Blades Piercing the Clouds!" Di Shitian shouted in anger, his voice like exploding thunder.