"Th-that was incredible! Uncle Gai Nie!"
Tianming was the first to recover from the shock, his voice brimming with excitement. He grabbed Shaoyu by the shoulder, shaking him eagerly. "See that? My Uncle Gai Nie is the strongest in the world!"
"Y-yeah… he really is…" Shaoyu muttered, still wide-eyed with disbelief.
"Unbelievable… his swordsmanship has reached such a terrifying level," Xiao Gao murmured, awe coloring his tone. "That strike cut through the void itself—it was beyond comprehension. I doubt anyone alive could withstand such a sword…"
He hesitated, then turned his gaze toward the calm figure watching from afar. "No… maybe there's one man who could—" his eyes landed on Goku.
Gai Nie, holding the Demon Sword, faced General Meng Tian and the thousands of elite soldiers behind him, his expression indifferent and steady. "Do you still wish to continue?"
Meng Tian clenched his fists, realizing too late that his palms were slick with cold sweat. The pressure emanating from Gai Nie was overwhelming—so suffocating that even his battle-hardened soldiers trembled. The army that had once marched with iron discipline now stood paralyzed with fear.
He exhaled heavily. "Withdraw!"
The order cracked through the air. The soldiers, grateful for the command, retreated in haste.
At once, cheers erupted from the Mohist survivors. Relief and disbelief mingled in their cries.
Gai Nie turned and approached the fallen Wei Zhuang, whose breath had grown shallow. "Xiao Zhuang," he said quietly, "you've lost."
His face was pale, his breathing unsteady. That last strike had taken everything out of him. Without the aid of Goku's Demon Sword, he might never have been able to execute it. Even if he had, the backlash alone could have killed him.
Wei Zhuang's chest was slashed open, the wound so deep the bone was visible. Blood soaked his robes. With effort, he opened his eyes. "That sword… where did you learn it?"
"Sir Goku gave both Tianming and me a sword manual," Gai Nie replied calmly. "This technique was drawn from its pages. I've only mastered the basics."
Wei Zhuang gave a faint, bitter smile. "Only the basics… and it has such power? No wonder Baifeng and Mo Ya respect him so much. The gap between us is wider than I imagined." He paused, his voice weakening. "What's the sword's name?"
"Jinghong—the 'Astonishing Rainbow,'" Gai Nie said solemnly.
"Astonishing indeed…" Wei Zhuang whispered.
"If not for this Demon Sword, I couldn't have unleashed it. Nor would I still be standing."
Wei Zhuang chuckled faintly, his strength fading. "A loss is a loss. No excuses. We've crossed swords for decades, and now the winner is you…"
Gai Nie's brows furrowed. He could tell the wound was mortal. The Jinghong sword was too powerful—he himself had barely controlled its force. Had the Demon Sword not tempered it, Wei Zhuang would've been cleaved in two.
Looking down at the weapon, Gai Nie felt a surge of reverence and hope. He turned and walked toward Goku, bowing deeply as he held the sword in both hands. "Sir Goku, thank you for lending me your Demon Sword. Without it, I could never have performed the Jinghong strike."
Goku smiled faintly. "Think nothing of it." He took the blade and hooked it casually back at his waist.
"Sir Goku," Gai Nie ventured, "forgive me for asking, but… is there any way to save Xiao Zhuang?"
Goku raised an eyebrow. "You've always been enemies. Why would you want to save him?"
"…Because," Gai Nie said quietly, "he's still my junior brother."
"A swordsman with mercy in his heart—that's rare," Goku said, smiling lightly.
Suddenly, two shadows—one black, one white—flashed before him. Xiao Gao and the Mohist disciples instantly drew their weapons.
"Baifeng and Mo Ya from the Quicksand Organization!" Xiao Gao shouted. "Everyone, be alert!"
"Whoa, whoa, no need for that," Mo Ya said, raising both hands helplessly. "We're not enemies."
"They're with me," Goku said evenly.
"Huh?" Xiao Gao and the others exchanged bewildered looks.
Mo Ya smirked. "You still don't get it? Baifeng and I were placed under Wei Zhuang's command by Lord Goku from the very beginning. Now do you understand?"
"What?" the Mohists murmured in disbelief. If Goku said so, they had no reason to doubt it—but it was still shocking. Two of the four strongest members of Quicksand… were his people.
Baifeng frowned, glancing toward the gravely wounded Wei Zhuang. "Lord Goku… can he be saved?"
"You want to save him too?" Goku asked, his tone indifferent but his eyes curious.
Mo Ya crossed his arms. "No matter what's happened, we've been comrades for over a decade."
Goku sighed lightly. "Since you all insist, I suppose I'll have to." He smiled faintly to himself. Besides, the story would be rather dull if Wei Zhuang died too soon.
"Lord Goku! Please reconsider!" Da Tiechui shouted anxiously. "If you save him, it's like letting a tiger back into the mountains! That man doesn't understand gratitude!"
Goku turned his gaze on him. "When adults speak, children should keep quiet."
"Ugh…" Da Tiechui froze, swallowing hard. Anger flickered in his eyes, but he dared not speak another word. He slumped off to one side, muttering to himself.
Goku stepped forward. A faint white light formed in his palm and spilled across Wei Zhuang's body.
The hall fell silent—then gasps filled the air.
Before their eyes, the deep gash in Wei Zhuang's chest began to close, flesh knitting back together in seconds. Color returned to his face. Within moments, he drew a deep breath and rose to his feet, steady and whole again.
The Mohists could only stare, dumbstruck.
---
Meanwhile, outside Mechanism City—
General Meng Tian was leading his retreating troops when a shadow blocked his path.
A slender man stood there, dressed in elegant black, his expression serpentine and cruel. Behind him stood two masked women, identical as reflections—cold, beautiful, and radiating killing intent.
"General Meng," the man said softly, his tone dripping with menace, "His Majesty gave strict orders: the Mohist City must be taken, at any cost. Failure… will cost both our heads. Are you abandoning your duty?"
Meng Tian frowned, recognizing him at once. "Lord Zhao Gao…" He clasped his fist respectfully. "But the truth is, we've been defeated."
"Defeated?" Zhao Gao's lips curled into a smile devoid of warmth. "The word 'defeat' does not exist in my vocabulary."
He gestured with one elegant, claw-like hand. One of the masked women stepped forward and tossed a black-clad man to the ground like discarded prey.
Meng Tian's eyes widened. "That's—!"
"To capture him," Zhao Gao said lazily, "my Net Organization paid quite a price. Tell me, General—what's the situation inside Mechanism City?"
His voice was silky but sharp, his long nails glinting under the light like blades. Everything about him—his slim frame, his delicate gestures, his mocking tone—oozed venom and cunning.
"The Six Sword Slaves… as far as I know," Meng Tian replied carefully, "only the two by your side remain."
"So the rest are dead?" Zhao Gao's tone remained calm, but his eyes glittered with deadly frost.
"Yes."
"I see… I made a mistake separating them," Zhao Gao said, rubbing his fingers together idly. No one could tell whether his expression was thoughtful or murderous.
The Six Sword Slaves had always been his ultimate weapon—each one a master killer, their coordination perfect, their strikes lethal. Together, they could overwhelm even the greatest of warriors. Even Victory Seven, who could fight Wei Zhuang to a draw, had fallen in moments when faced with their combined assault.
And now… four of them were gone. Zhao Gao's smile grew thinner, darker.
"Tell me," he said softly, "was it that man— Goku?"
Meng Tian shook his head. "No. It was Gai Nie."
"Gai Nie?" Zhao Gao's expression hardened. His voice dropped to an icy whisper. "Useless fools. To die by his hand… when they had Wei Zhuang's Quicksand and the Yin–Yang clan at their side? Where was Yue Shen? How could a mere Gai Nie have defeated them all?"
His voice trailed off, the cold malice in his tone deepening until even the soldiers nearby dared not breathe.
The storm that had ravaged Mechanism City was far from over.
...
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