Chapter 194: The Nine-Foot Star Blade – A Blade Without Mercy in the Calm Wind

How can a single story encompass all the indulgences of the mortal world? How can a single painting depict all the grudges and affections among people? Through countless lifetimes, one can only sigh at the constant changes in the world. Heroes have tears; who wishes to be alone? The land is beautiful, and the beauties are like jade—where should a man’s heart lie?

Lei Jun’s white armor reflected the sunlight from time to time, while his black cloak fluttered as he walked. Thus, he slowly made his way onto the arena. There was no excessive splendor or showmanship, but everyone knew that Lei Jun’s cultivation level was higher than that of anyone before him. Despite his youthful appearance, decades ago, his “Nine-Foot Star Blade” was already on par with that of the Emperor. However, Lei Jun had a peculiar temperament, always acting alone and cold-hearted. As a result, the Lei Ri Star Palace was ostracized by the rulers of other star palaces, though no one spoke openly about it—mainly due to their fear of Lei Jun’s “Nine-Foot Star Blade.”

As Lei Jun slowly stepped onto the arena, everyone fell silent. At that moment, Ye Luo Jianmu’s face showed a strange expression. He naturally knew Lei Jun. Although he was at odds with other members of the Lan family, he was still part of their royal lineage. His presence here surely wasn’t just for a simple competition. Moreover, the relationship between the Ye Luo family and the Lan family had always been poor. If such a person came to cause trouble, it would likely be difficult to stop him. With these thoughts, concern appeared on his face.

Lei Jun stopped opposite Liu Yi, tilted his head to look up at the stands, then smiled politely and said to Ye Luo Baihua, “I’ve long wanted to see the princess’s stunning beauty. Today is a rare opportunity. I hope the princess won’t prevent me from competing just because of our clans’ relationship.”

Ye Luo Baihua’s beautiful eyes lingered on Lei Jun’s face before she replied, “I’m shocked—such a trivial trick could disturb Lei Jun. I’m truly sorry. If Lei Jun wishes to compete, of course he may. We haven’t set any rules preventing other clans from participating.”

Lei Jun nodded, then turned his gaze back to Liu Yi. The distance between the two was as much as ten zhang, but Lei Jun said nothing and moved immediately. With a step, his entire body shot forward like a white arrow, arriving at Liu Yi’s side in an instant. The speed created a gust of wind, causing Liu Yi’s few strands of white hair to flutter briefly before returning to stillness, just like his body.

This simple move sent the crowd below into panic. Although Lei Jun’s speed wasn’t extremely fast, it was still too sudden. He arrived at the blind man’s side without even speaking. What was even more astonishing was that the blind man didn’t move at all. The distance between them was only a foot. If Lei Jun had attacked suddenly, the blind man would have already been on the ground.

The distance between Lei Jun and Liu Yi was so close that Liu Yi could clearly hear his breathing and heartbeat. Yet Lei Jun smiled and said, “Indeed, you have great courage—refusing to dodge. If I had attacked just now, you would already be dead.”

Liu Yi said calmly, “You’re very confident? But… although I don’t have much goodwill toward the Lan family, you’re indeed different. I didn’t avoid you because I knew you wouldn’t attack.”
Lei Jun seemed surprised and asked, “Oh? You think I won’t attack? Why?”
Liu Yi replied calmly, “Because the aura around you is very peaceful. I can sense it.”
Lei Jun nodded and said, “Well… you’ve reminded me. It seems I can’t underestimate others too much.”
Liu Yi smiled kindly and said, “If you have ten units of strength, it’s best to use eleven. That way, even if you lose, you’ll have some satisfaction—at least… you won’t regret it.”
Hearing Liu Yi’s words, Lei Jun nodded and said, “As expected of the master of the Demon Realm. I’ll keep this in mind.” As soon as he finished speaking, he moved his feet and quickly slipped backward. In an instant, the distance between the two of them was once again ten zhang.
This move piqued the curiosity of everyone in the arena. They wondered what the two had been talking about earlier. It seemed Lei Jun knew this blind man, so it was likely that this blind man’s identity was far from ordinary.
As Lei Jun steadied himself, a gust of wind blew open his cloak. With a serious expression, he said, “From the Netherworld, the Lei Ri Xing Palace, I seek your guidance.” Though his words were simple, everyone knew it showed how highly he regarded the other person—otherwise, he wouldn’t have revealed his name.
Liu Yi didn’t say much, only responding with one word: “Please.”
Lei Jun smiled slightly, but after that smile, he announced the start of the battle. The wind around them gradually picked up speed, lifting dust from the ground. The wind grew stronger, seemingly unnatural. Small stones on the ground were occasionally blown up. Lei Jun’s figure appeared even more robust in the wind, his black cloak flaring out, and his neatly combed black hair began to flutter chaotically. Just moments ago, the sky was clear, but now dark clouds rolled in, accompanied by thunder and lightning, as if the sky itself was signaling the arrival of a battle.
Ye Luo Jianmu and Ye Luo Baihua both thought to themselves, “Lei Jun has such a powerful killing aura—it even affects nature itself.”
At that moment, Yu Chenxing below the arena looked up at the sky and around, whispering, “Brother Lei Jun’s cultivation has improved again. I think now he’s a match for the Emperor.”
An old man behind Yu Chenxing added, “It’s said that Lei Jun has been practicing a supreme martial skill. Since he’s emerged from seclusion today, it must be that he’s made progress with it. Otherwise, given his temperament, he wouldn’t leave the palace at all. But… if the Emperor doesn’t encounter any accidents in the human world, I think Lei Jun should be capable of competing with him.”
Yu Chenxing nodded and said, “I hate the Emperor just by looking at him. He always has that sinister smile. I really hope the king will remove him from his position.” Though he said this, he still glanced up at the arena.

At this moment, Liu Yi still stood motionless, seemingly sensing something or deep in thought. Whatever it was, it was clear that he showed no sign of resistance. Even those around him could detect no trace of murderous intent from him, as if he were a non-existent person.

Looking at Lei Jun, it was seen that he had already taken action. As his true energy converged, a white light sphere appeared in the palm of his right hand. The sphere was only the size of a fist, with beautiful light swirling within it. As Lei Jun gently released his hand, the white sphere slowly floated up and hovered in front of his chest.

The white sphere floated in the air. Over time, due to prolonged contact with the surrounding air, white sparks appeared around it, looking eerily strange. After several flashes of these sparks, the white light began to move slowly to the left. As the sphere moved, a sword appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Anyone who had experience in the martial world of the Netherworld surely recognized this sword. The sword floating in front of Lei Jun was his famous weapon, the “Nine-Foot Star Sword.” The white light continued to move leftward, and as it did, a sword two inches wide and nine feet long appeared before everyone. The sword was peculiar—the blade was connected directly to the hilt without any guard. If not for its thin, curved shape, some might have thought it was just a three-meter-long stick.

Lei Jun suddenly grabbed the blue-white hilt with his right hand. As he turned his body slightly, the entire sword came into view. Just as Lei Jun straightened the sword, a clashing sound reached everyone’s ears. When they turned their eyes, they saw only the blind man’s right hand holding up that strange sword in a defensive posture. Although no one knew what caused the clashing sound, most were certain that Lei Jun had launched his first strike at the blind man, and from the blind man’s posture, it seemed the first strike had been blocked.

Looking at Lei Jun again, his long sword hung diagonally on the ground, its blade reflecting a metallic sheen—cold yet dazzling. White sparks constantly circled around the blade, as if serving as a backdrop. The nine-foot-long blade was the longest weapon anyone had ever seen, even causing those who used long weapons to feel inferior.

Liu Yi reinserted his sword into his waist and said calmly, “What a sharp sword.”

Lei Jun did not answer Liu Yi’s question but continued, “If you don’t bring out all your strength to face your opponent, you’ll regret it if you lose.” Clearly, he was repeating Liu Yi’s own words.

Liu Yi nodded without saying anything. However, a slight movement was enough for those with high cultivation to notice a change—the left hand holding the sword tightened. That tiny movement signaled that Liu Yi was about to act. After that movement, “Lan Er Fei Na Qing” instantly rose to the thirteenth level—the World-Destroying Level: Heart of Murder.

Powerful true energy immediately filled Liu Yi’s entire body. The fierce blood within him seemed to ignite in an instant, with red light slowly enveloping his body. A hurricane formed in a vortex around him, his long white hair becoming disheveled, and his black robe fluttering in the wind. At the same time, red clouds piled up in the sky and rushed forward, quickly pushing aside the dark clouds above Thunder Lord. It was as if the two were on a fighting platform, with a clear sky appearing in between—this extraordinary sight left those below in awe.

The blood-red clouds gradually formed a vortex within the hurricane, seemingly rotating around Liu Yi as its center. At that moment, the world changed in color. Meanwhile, Liu Yi slowly drew his black sword from his right hand. As the three-edged blade reflected his figure, empowered by the strong true energy, the Four-Color Wild Dragon was quickly summoned. Four dragons of different colors began to circle around the blade of “Sorrowful Dream,” exuding an indescribable aura that pressed down on Thunder Lord.

The killing intent of the two instantly filled the entire space, making everyone on and off the fighting platform feel a chill, as if they were on the brink of life and death.

Yu Chenxing blurted out, “Such strong… aura.” She couldn’t describe it—those auras weren’t killing intent, at least she couldn’t sense it. But then what was it? How could such an invincible will be expressed?

An old man behind her spoke up, “I heard Thunder Lord say earlier that this man comes from the human world. Since he’s the ruler of the Demon Realm, his cultivation must also be terrifyingly high. It seems Thunder Lord has met his match this time.”

Yu Chenxing looked up at the fighting platform, but the two remained motionless in the wind, showing no signs of preparing to fight. Seeing the two on the platform, Ye Luobaihua was also surprised. She hadn’t expected much success from this marriage selection, only wanting to use it to strengthen her Tearless City’s power. The rebellion within her clan had made her act rashly, starting it quickly in Ye Luocheng. But now, such skilled opponents had appeared. With their abilities, how could they possibly join Tearless City? Moreover, once these two fought to a conclusion—regardless of who won—this marriage selection should end, simply because no one else would dare to step forward. Even if someone did, they couldn’t become a force for Tearless City. For a moment, a hint of sadness appeared in Ye Luobaihua’s eyes.

Thunder Lord said slowly, “Such strong demonic aura. Truly worthy of being the ruler of the Demon Realm.”

Liu Yi shook his head and said, “These past few days, I’ve been pondering one question: a person’s life shouldn’t have just one goal. But where is my goal? After all, the Demon Realm isn’t yet the fifth realm of the Great Sage. Right now, it merely exists as an organization in the human world. Sometimes I wonder if I should redefine the Demon Realm and turn it into a new world.”

Thunder Lord suddenly burst into laughter and said, “If you can’t even protect your own woman, how can you talk about creating a new world?” His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached everyone’s ears. Some even spoke out in disbelief, “That can’t be true. He can’t even protect his own woman.” Their harsh words pierced Liu Yi’s heart like needles.

Liu Yi was filled with hatred, anger, sorrow, and helplessness. He had no right to explain, nor was it necessary for him to do so. Yet, the ignorant people were criticizing him. He had lost his love and was searching for it, but no one knew how difficult the path was. Faced with so much helplessness, he was unable to be with the celestial maiden. Only he knew all of this, and he would succeed.

But upon hearing Liu Yi’s words, Qiyue felt something special. Liu Yi was changing, constantly changing. He had remained calm since arriving in the underworld, yet now he suddenly spoke such words—what did that mean? Shouldn’t Liu Yi be trying to restore the celestial maiden’s memory? Why did he suddenly have the idea of creating a new world? What was going on here?

The desire for slaughter kept eroding Liu Yi. Too much noise drove him mad, and too much criticism angered him. Finally, he could no longer bear it. With a swift swing of his sword, a person below the arena was cut in half, blood splashing everywhere. Though the man didn’t have time to scream, the thick blood silenced everyone. No one dared say another word. The blind man before them was nothing but a madman—even the cold-hearted Lei Jun was visibly shaken.

Liu Yi said coldly, word by word, “Is there anyone else who wants to speak?” His words echoed through the heavens and earth, shaking everyone’s ears.

Qiyue’s eyes held a hint of confusion as she watched Liu Yi’s merciless sword. She didn’t know what to say. Scholars were never like this. Could it be the curse of the “Other Shore Flower”? But the nine kinds of tears hadn’t been found yet— the curse wouldn’t manifest now. So what was the reason? Perhaps it was related to his mood. In the end, Qiyue came up with an explanation for Liu Yi’s change.

Liu Yi said to Lei Jun, “What I say must be done. If you still have a life to see that day, then go!” His voice was icy and merciless, as if he were a completely different person from the gentle one before.

Lei Jun seemed angry too. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and sneered, “Go.” As soon as he spoke, the “Nine-Foot Star Sword” flashed rapidly, delivering three slashes in quick succession. The sword lights shot toward Liu Yi, who blocked them with his long sword before sweeping sideways. At the same time, he launched three swords of different colors. The purplish-red sword light melted away the three sword lights in an instant before shooting straight at Lei Jun.

Thus, the battle began. Those with lower cultivation levels below the arena couldn’t see clearly, only two silhouettes moving swiftly across the ten-zhang-wide arena, exchanging sword and knife blows. The sounds, however, were overwhelming—seems like dozens of clashes at once, while the eyes could only catch a few moves. In contrast, those with higher cultivation, such as Yu Chen Xing, Qiyue, Ye Luo Bai Hua, and Ye Luo Jian Mu, could barely make out the duel between swords and knives. At this point, neither side had any easy moves left; victory depended solely on speed and the strength of their vital energy.

The knife lights were chaotic and disordered, kicking up dust and sand, while the sword lights were as fast as lightning, stirring up yellow dust. Both were relying solely on their vital energy to power their swords and knives in this competition. But soon, new changes occurred on the arena.

Lei Jun’s body began to move, racing sideways as his long sword appeared and disappeared from sight, slashing from time to time. Liu Yi used the opponent’s vital energy to observe and his keen hearing to judge. As Lei Jun’s body moved lightly, he leaped sideways and also started running swiftly across the arena. The two began to compete based on their speed, the speed of their swords, and the strength of their vital energy.

Yet no matter how fast they moved, the distance between them always remained at ten zhang. Their bodies were beyond the range of naked eye sight; all that could be seen were several afterimages forming a circle in the arena. The powerful sword energy and blade light had already ruined the arena’s appearance, and everyone could hear the continuous sound of weapons clashing.

Ye Luo Jianmu couldn’t help but turn to Ye Luo Baihua and use telepathy to say, “Princess, these two’s cultivation levels have reached an unimaginable degree. It’s just that… if this battle continues like this, I doubt a winner can be determined.”

Ye Luo Baihua replied via telepathy, “Uncle Jian, you’re worried needlessly. This is just the beginning. Both of them want to understand each other better, so they haven’t made any moves yet. They’re merely testing each other with their weapons and vital energy. The real action is yet to come. In no time, both sides will surely show off their skills and end this fight.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded and continued, “Princess, what are your plans? If these two keep fighting like this, I’m afraid we’ll be in trouble. No matter who wins, it will be difficult for us to wrap things up.”

Ye Luo Baihua replied telepathically, “That… is also what I’m worried about. Well, let’s just let things take their course. If it can ensure the safety of the Ye Luo family and help our Wulei City, what does it matter if Baihua sacrifices herself a little?” Although it was telepathy, her tone still carried a hint of helpless sorrow.

Part 5, Volume 13: Tears Fall as the Hero Is at His End