"There's always someone stronger out there…"
Gai Nie gazed at Goku's back, unable to suppress the genuine admiration rising in his heart.
"This man's strength… it's truly beyond imagination. It seems only Lord Donghuang himself could possibly stand against him."
Yue Shen's eyes flickered with mixed emotion. She swiftly withdrew her power and leaped down from the back of the mechanical bird, landing gracefully on the sandship below.
By this time, the ninth-layer Qi Blade Condensation Xing Hun had been gathering was already fully formed. It was impossible for him to disperse it now. Fixing his gaze on the man standing proudly in the air, his eyes burned with a blazing fighting spirit.
"I never imagined that apart from Lord Donghuang, there would exist such a powerful being in this world! Today… let me test your strength myself!"
As he shouted, the Qi Blade in his hands suddenly expanded again.
"Qi Blade Condensation… at the tenth layer!"
With a furious cry, Xing Hun's twin blades of energy merged into one, soaring straight toward the sky, radiating an annihilating aura that seemed capable of destroying all creation. Then, with unstoppable force, it came crashing down toward Goku!
"Oh? He's actually attempting the tenth-layer Qi Blade Condensation? Is he asking for death—or is this world's Xing Hun stronger than the one I know?"
As he spoke, Goku looked calmly at the descending energy blade. With a faint smile and no unnecessary movement, he merely lifted his right hand.
Before the astonished eyes of everyone present, he caught the colossal energy blade in one hand—then, with a gentle squeeze, shattered it completely. The terrifying power vanished into nothingness.
"—Hiss…"
The chilling sound of gasps echoed all around. Even Yue Shen felt a shiver run through her heart.
Goku's overwhelming power far exceeded their imagination. She had believed only Donghuang Taiyi himself could face such a foe—but now, that thought seemed laughable. Even Donghuang, faced with Xing Hun's tenth-layer Qi Blade Condensation, could never have caught it so effortlessly.
The image of an unbeatable being began to take root in everyone's mind.
P
The Qin soldiers looked at Goku with a mix of awe and terror.
---
"Th–That's… that's incredible!"
Tianming shouted, his face full of excitement as he looked at the man floating in the sky.
Goku's strength deeply shocked Shaoyu and the others, filling their hearts with reverence and longing. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed such a being could exist in the world.
"The path of martial arts… truly has no end."
Gai Nie sighed softly, sheathing his sword. Around them, the Qin soldiers had already stopped fighting—utterly stripped of their will to continue.
"Ahhhh—!"
A scream tore through the silence.
High above, on the back of the mechanical bird, Xing Hun's internal energy spiraled chaotically out of control. Explosions rippled through his body, blood splattering as his energy rampaged violently within him.
The tenth-layer Qi Blade Condensation had taken its toll.
Losing all strength, Xing Hun plummeted from the sky.
"Lord Xing Hun—!"
Da Shiming cried out in shock.
A massive white bird swooped across the sky, catching Xing Hun mid-fall. It landed upon the sandship, transforming into Bai Feng's form as the wind settled.
Yue Shen hurried forward and received the unconscious Xing Hun from Bai Feng's arms. Her brows furrowed slightly as she channeled a soft glow from her palms, enveloping Xing Hun in light.
"Madam Yue Shen… Lord Xing Hun, is he—?"
Da and Shao Shiming landed beside her, their faces anxious.
"He won't die."
Yue Shen's tone was calm. She motioned for a few Qin soldiers to carry Xing Hun inside the sandship.
Her eyes turned skyward toward the man still standing proudly above, hand resting on the head of the Pixiu, and her voice carried cold authority:
"Retreat! This man's martial strength is far beyond ours. We cannot oppose him. Withdraw for now and report to His Majesty—the Emperor will decide our next move."
Da and Shao Shiming lifted their eyes once more to the figure in the sky—the invincible warrior whose presence shattered all notions of power.
The shock in their hearts was indescribable. To think that beings such as themselves, hailed as peerless masters, could not even withstand a single strike…
"I wonder… if Lord Donghuang faced him, would he too be defeated in a single move?"
Shao Shiming murmured to herself. The thought was absurd—yet she could not suppress it. Even Donghuang Taiyi's once-mystical image now seemed less untouchable than before.
As the horns of retreat echoed, the Qin army withdrew like receding tides.
Goku did not stop them. He had no intention of annihilating them all—not yet. After all, he still needed the Qin army to attack Loulan… so that he could arrive later as the savior of that beautiful Great Priestess.
Watching the departing sandship, Goku sat astride the Pixiu, descending slowly to where Shaoyu and the others waited.
Jumping down, he turned toward the elegant swordsman before him and smiled faintly.
"The number one sword saint of the world—Gai Nie. I didn't expect to meet you here. Thank you for helping Xiao Li and the others just now."
"Sir, you overpraise me. Before someone like you, I dare not claim the title of 'Number One Sword Saint.' It's merely an empty reputation."
Gai Nie clasped his hands respectfully.
"You've been following all the way here… I suppose you came for him, right?"
Goku pointed toward Tianming, smiling lightly.
"You truly see through everything."
Gai Nie's tone held neither surprise nor denial—only quiet admiration.
"Came for me? But… I don't even know you."
Tianming looked confused.
"I came at the request of a friend—to watch over you," Gai Nie replied softly, his gaze distant, as though lost in memory.
"A friend?"
Tianming blinked, puzzled.
"Yes… a very, very dear friend."
"Alright, enough talk."
Goku gently patted Tianming's shoulder. "From now on, you'll follow Gai Nie. He won't ever harm you."
Tianming nodded slowly, though confusion lingered in his eyes. "But… can't I stay with you instead? You're so strong! I want to learn from you—then I'll never have to be afraid again."
"You and I are not fated," Goku said calmly. "Your destiny lies with Gai Nie. He is the world's greatest swordsman—if you learn from him, you'll become strong too."
"Tch! But even then, I doubt he'll ever be as strong as you…"
Tianming muttered under his breath.
Shaoyu, who had also wanted to ask Goku to be his master, decided to remain silent after seeing Tianming rejected.
The group soon set off again, heading toward Loulan.
---
In Xianyang Palace
The First Emperor of Qin, Ying Zheng, sat upon his dragon throne, fury radiating from him.
"Useless… all of them! Absolute trash!"
He slammed a memorial scroll to the floor. "Two great national preceptors, the entire Flowing Sand organization, thousands of elite Qin soldiers, and even the Gongshu family's mighty constructs—defeated by a single man and a few brats?! Preposterous!"
"Summon Meng Tian—immediately!"
Moments later, a tall, armored man strode into the grand hall, kneeling before the throne.
"Your Majesty, you summoned your humble servant?"
"The expedition to Loulan has failed!"
Ying Zheng's voice was cold and thunderous.
"What? Impossible!"
Meng Tian's eyes widened in disbelief. "Even Lord Weizhuang went, and in the end, the Grand Preceptors themselves joined the battle! How could such a force fail?"
"See for yourself."
Ying Zheng gestured sharply toward the bamboo scroll on the floor.
Meng Tian picked it up and read carefully.
The further he read, the more his expression shifted—from surprise, to disbelief, to utter shock.
When he finally lowered the scroll, his voice trembled slightly.
"To think there exists such a man in this world… even the Grand Preceptors together were powerless against him…"
"I don't care how strong he is," Ying Zheng said, eyes burning with killing intent.
"Anyone who dares stand in the way of my empire's will—kill them, no matter the cost! Ten thousand soldiers failed? Then send twenty thousand! Twenty thousand fail? Send a hundred thousand! A hundred thousand fail? Then a million! This operation will not fail again!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Meng Tian bowed low, his voice resolute.
---
In the Endless Desert
The winds howled, sandstorms raged.
Goku and his group descended atop the Pixiu, landing on a wide stretch of sand.
Surveying their surroundings, Goku turned toward Xiao Li.
"Xiao Li, are you certain the entrance to Loulan is around here?"
"Yes!" she nodded firmly. "I'm sure this was where I came out last time. But… maybe the sandstorms have buried the opening."
As she spoke, the winds suddenly roared to life, yellow sand surging skyward like waves.
The world was swallowed by dust and wind—eyes could no longer open against the storm.
A deep roar echoed from within the swirling sands, shaking the desert like a beast awakening from its slumber.
Before their eyes, the golden sands condensed into a massive, terrifying creature—its form identical to that of the Pixiu.
With a thunderous bellow, the sand beast raised its colossal claw and struck downward toward them!
"Everyone, be careful!"
Gai Nie's sharp voice cut through the chaos as the group leaped back in unison.
Only Tianming was caught by the blast of wind and sent tumbling helplessly across the dunes—
"Roooaaar!"
...
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